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The Role of Men and Women in Society

Women in patriarchal societies in the late 19th century struggle to be heard- their

viewpoints are often disregarded as they are perceived to be inferior to their male counterparts.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman in “The Yellow Paper” warns her audience of the adverse implications

of fixed and imbalanced gender roles. Similarly, Flannery O’Connor in “A Good Man is Hard to

Find” highlights the shift in gender roles in post-war society, with women assuming male roles

and becoming the heads of their families. Patriarchal norms in society undermined gender

equality as they confined women to domestic chores, encouraged male authority and dominance,

and devalued female voices.

Gilman in “The Yellow Paper” employs the first-person point of narration to enhance the

conceptualization of the protagonist's inner emotions and thoughts. This approach encourages a

deeper exploration of her experiences, enabling readers to exhibit empathy based on the extent of

her isolation and confinement. The journal entries reflect the protagonist’s frustrations with her

husband’s unending control over her life. Her husband was the sole decision maker and she was

not allowed to question any choices made as it was equated to disrespect. Apart from that, men

were believed to be the voice of reason and understood what was best for others and did not

incorporate their viewpoints. The narrator mentions that she knows she is sick and is

disappointed that her husband, a practical physician, disregard her claims, as she stated, “you see

he does not believe I am sick! And what can one do?” (Gilman 647). Her utterances illustrate her

frustrations and discomfort. Gilman’s utilization of the first-person narrative technique helps

humanize the protagonist and emphasize the challenges she faces as a woman in a chauvinistic

society. In Flannery O’Connor, ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find’ about control over other's life,

Misfit says, “One is One and all the goody-goodys will shy away from it”(O’Connor 34). This
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reflects the Misfit's belief in a world devoid of meaning or morality. This implies a desire to

impose his own nihilistic worldview on others, rejecting societal norms and religious beliefs.

In “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, O’Connor uses characterization to exhibit traditional

gender norms and their implications on interactions. For instance, the grandmother is perceived

as self-centered and manipulative. The author uses her to show how women can fight against

oppressive and discriminative ideologies by allowing her to be the family patriarch because of

her knowledge and experience, subverting the stereotype of nurturing which demonstrates the

female identity complexities in Southern America. As mentioned, the grandmother is the first

person in the car, yet she had mentioned she hated Florida, “The next morning the grandmother

was the first one in the car, ready to go. She had her big black valise that looked like the head of

a hippopotamus in one corner, and underneath it she was hiding a basket with Pitty Sing, the cat,

in it” (O’Connor 34). In this regard, the author’s utilization of characterization enhances the traits

of the individuals in the narrative and how their behaviors reflect patriarchal ideologies.

The style of narration and selection of characters have enhanced the depiction of gender

roles in the narratives. Using direct speech enhances the authenticity of the presented arguments

and eases the depiction of the narrator’s pain and suffering. A prime example can be seen in

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-Paper," where the unnamed narrator describes the

oppressive wallpaper in her room: "I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before,

and we all know how much expression they have! "(Gilman 650). This quote highlights the

narrator's descent into madness, fueled by the stifling environment imposed upon her.Similarly,

O’Connor’s character choice helps depict masculine and feminine traits that reveal gender roles

and their implications on cohesion and communication. Male characters strive to exhibit control
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over their female counterparts whereas females are dedicated to curbing these practices. Thus,

these stylistic devices reflect the adverse implications of imbalanced gender roles in society.

Additionally, Gilman employs symbolism in “The Yellow Wallpaper” to show the

protagonist’s inner struggles and society’s viewpoints on gender roles and responsibilities. It

serves as a representation of the descent and oppression of the protagonist. The different

descriptions captured in the journal depict the rot in the community and the narrator’s quest to

disentangle herself from these shackles. As the story opens up, she describes the wallpaper as

“repellent, almost revolting: smoldering yellow, and that it smells like the Color of the paper”

(Gilman 649). The vivid description reveals the rot in society because of its emphasis on

patriarchal ideologies and restricting women to domestic duties. Apart from that, the smell of the

wallpaper haunts the narrator everywhere she goes, implying that it is challenging for her to

overcome the gender roles. The inclusion of the wallpaper in the narrative helps portray the

problems facing women in the late 19th century.

Symbolism is also integral in A Good Man is Hard to Find because it enables the

conceptualization of societal expectations of men and women in Southern America. O’Connor

uses this technique to demonstrate patriarchal authority and male dominance in decision-making

in the family. For instance, the family car shows that men are the primary decision-makers in the

community, and his position behind the wheel illustrates his influence and control within the

family unit. Apart from that, the grandmother’s hat has been included to show her quest for

attention and respect in society. Wearing it helps earn her respect as a Southern lady, showing

her desire to uphold a certain image of propriety and respectability, as stated “but the

grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a

navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print... In case of an accident, anyone seeing her
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dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.” (O’Connor 35). Thus, the

author’s use of symbolism enhances the conceptualization of the complexities of gender roles in

the American South and its implications on power dynamics and constraints.

In both narratives, symbolism has been instrumental in depicting the extent of

masculinity and its implications on the characters’ wellbeing. The inclusion of the yellow

wallpaper in The Yellow Wallpaper helps the audience conceptualize the implications of the

narrator's husband's practices on her psychological stability. The narrator's descriptions, filled

with disgust, reflect the resultant stench from the enforced gender roles. “and it is like a woman

creeping about behind that pattern.” (Gilman 652). This emphasizes the wallpaper's role as a

visual prison. Similarly, symbolism in A good Man is Hard to Find through the car and the

grandmother’s hat show how men strive to dominate and attempts by women to challenge this

perspective. In this regard, symbolism has been instrumental in portraying gender roles in the

stories and how the characters navigate these issues.

All in all, Gilman and O'Connor's narratives reflect gender roles in patriarchal societies in

the 19th century and their implications on decision-making. The narrator in The Yellow

Wallpaper is confined in a room and her viewpoints regarding being unwell are disregarded.

John, her husband, blinded by his position and dominance, dismisses her concerns as mere

nervousness. This becomes evident when she pleads, 'He laughs at me, of course, but one expects

that in marriage' (Gilman 647). John's dismissive attitude prevents him from providing the

needed care and comfort his wife desperately needs. Apart from that, the inclusion of the first-

person point of narration enhances the authenticity of the presented arguments. Similarly,

O’Connor in A Good Man is Hard to Find reviews gender roles through the characters of the

grandmother, the father, and the Misfit revealing the complexities of societal expectations and
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their implications on interactions like when Misfit said “Nome, I ain’t a good man” (O’Connor

42). The father’s assertion of masculinity authority and the grandmother’s adherence to southern

femininity ideologies reflect the patriarchal attributes of the American South. The stylistic

devices employed by the authors enhance the conceptualization of the presented arguments and

emphasize the significance of gender equality in society. Nonetheless, the female characters in

the stories are hopeful of a brighter future and strive to overcome these discriminatory practices

and ideologies.

Works Cited

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories,

Dover Publications, 1997.

O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man is Hard to Find." A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other

Stories, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1955.

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