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Charlie Self

Mr. Williams

9th Lit Comp

February 2, 2024

Social Norms

Throughout the course of history, women have been battling for their rights in and out of

society. In stories like “Gift of the Magi” and “Desiree’s Baby” they show how women have

played different roles within the household and in public areas. These stories allow us to see how

women like Desiree and Della were treated and what sacrifices had to be made for society

standings and marriage.

These women show the roles that had to be endured throughout different time periods,

and how in their roles social norms were directly affecting how they go about their daily lives. In

“Lamb to the Slaughter”, it states, “And I know it’s kind of a bad time to be telling you, but there

simply wasn’t any other way. Of course, I’ll give you money and see you’re looked after” (Carr).

Mary can be compared to a baby lamb; this is because Mary is willful and chooses to put aside

personal wants and desires. To further explain this, Mary was in love with Patrick, and he had

fallen out of love with her and wanted a divorce. This shows a sacrifice of Patrick’s life, by

putting aside her love for him and making him a human version of a sacrificial lamb. In “Gift of

the Magi”, it states, “The James Dillingham Youngs were very proud of two things which they

owned. One thing was Jim’s gold watch. It had once belonged to his father. And, long ago, it had

belonged to his father’s father. The other thing was Della’s hair” (Henry). They both gave up

their most prized possessions; Della sacrificing her hair for the watch chain, and Jim sacrificing
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his watch for a comb. Both Della and Mary lost things very close to their heart, and it represents

how people, especially women, will sacrifice things of high significance for someone they love.

In these sacrificial examples it is also evident that there is a social norm of hierarchy. This

is evident in “Gift of the Magi” when it states, “You’ve cut off your hair?” asked Jim slowly. He

seemed to labor to understand what had happened. He seemed not to feel sure he knew” (Henry).

Relating back to sacrifice she cut her hair off, but this now affects Jim and his social status or

hierarchy. Women are supposed to be able to clean up and stand beside their husband in social

situations. Without Della’s hair she has lost her beauty and femineity to society, and now has the

hair of a boy. Even if Jim doesn’t mind the look of it, it still has an effect to his position in

society. Within the same social norm Desiree sacrificed her and her child’s life for Armand’s

social status and money. In “Desiree’s Baby”, it states, “She disappeared among the reeds and

willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; and she did not come back

again” (Chopin). Desiree knew the secret that Armand’s family held but chose to protect him and

his status at the price of her losing her house and family.

With a high social status people maintain and gain money. It is a common saying that

money equates to happiness, and this can be disproved by many of the female roles in the stories.

In “The Necklace, it states, “Her tastes were simple because she had never been able to afford

any other, but she was as unhappy as though she had married beneath her; for women have no

caste or class, their beauty, grace, and charm serving them for birth or family, their natural

delicacy, their instinctive elegance, their nimbleness of wit, are their only mark of rank, and put

the slum girl on a level with the highest lady in the land” (Maupassant). Mathilde did not come

from a wealthy family, although Mathilde would be at an event with many wealthy women. She

was given the option to wear a very elegant piece of jewelry, one that was very costly. She felt
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that by wearing this she would fit in with the other women, only to realize later it would put her

more behind these women than ever. Once she lost the necklace, she had to pay off the debt

through ten years of rigorous work. Mathilde quickly realized that having nice things does not

always give you the outcome you want, and that money does not always bring happiness to

people. Sometimes money instills fear, like how Mathilde felt before wearing the necklace. In

“Desiree’s Baby” Desiree left Armand for him to keep his heir, or the money that his child will

one day inherit. This provides more evidence that money can tear people apart just like Desiree,

Armand, and Desiree’s baby were separated.

Throughout all stories the women found in them have played such important roles in

showing the different struggles they had to go through. Now women have more freedom than

ever. They are now able to create their own social norms, and not be confined to the norms set by

men and women before them.

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Carr, Margaret. Lamb to the Slaughter. Linford, 1992.

Chopin, Kate. Complete Novels and Stories. Library of America, 2002.

Henry, O. The Gift of the Magi. Penguin Classics, 2022.

Maupassant, Guy De. A Piece of String ; the Diamond Necklace. Perfection Form Co., 1980.