The Influence of Whiteness on Female Gender Roles: a Study of Race, Class, and Gender in Sula, The Awakening, and The Handmaid's Tale

Race in literature;Married women;Wives;Women in literature;Social classes in literature

McIntosh, JenniferLandry, Jordan ;

University of Wisconsin

关键词: Race in literature;    Married women;    Wives;    Women in literature;    Social classes in literature;   

Others  :  https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/62208/McIntosh%2c%20Jennifer.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: University of Wisconsin

【 摘 要 】

In this thesis I explore how Toni Morrison, Kate Chopin, and Margaret Atwooduse the central female characters in their respective novels, Sula, The Awakening, and TheHandmaid;;s Tale, to showcase the intricate relationship between race, class, and genderas it relates to the struggle to break free from society;;s expectations. Differences in raceand levels of class allow for small glimpses of freedom, but in reality the possibility oftrue freedom is simply an illusion. From the perspective of Sula, Edna, and Offred, theability to transcend the expectations society has placed upon them, which varies based onclass and race, and create a unique self would mean achieving true independence. Intheir novels, Morrison, Chopin, and Atwood stress the dangers that lie within this puzzleof male domination, class rank, and white privilege. I contend that this danger is theincongruence that exists between society;;s view of female independence and its meaningto these women. I also argue that the dominant race and class, white, middle-classsociety, controls the illusions of freedom. As long as the female characters play withinthe boundaries approved by the ;;white norm,;; those around them will view their actionsas the harmless testing of boundaries and as meaningless play, but, to these femalecharacters, their actions reflect willful and serious struggles to gain autonomy andfreedom.As these women push the boundaries, they go through a journey of realization.Through the analysis of the novels, it is clear that these women are not naive in terms oftheir limitations as women, but because their respective societies allow them to ;;play;;within the confines of their gender, early in the novels they believe they can actuallytranscend their socially assigned gender roles, but they do not understand the relationshipbetween their class, gender, and race and the power which white privilege has incontrolling their freedom. As all three women progress toward what they believe to be atrue, independent self, they begin to see the relationship between their class, race andgender and the unique challenges they face because of these social markers. Ultimately,these women come to realize that although race, class, and gender provide uniqueexperiences for them, it is the power of white, middle-class society that holds them back.Ultimately, once these women realize their experiences will never result in trueindependence as long as white, middle-class society determines their boundaries, theyfind little hope for the future.