Roles Of Men And Women In Two

Works By Shirley Jackson Essay, Research Paper

The Roles Played by the Men and Women Portrayed

In Two Short Stories by

Shirley Jackson

As members of society we are affected by various elements of the world around us in everything we do. The actions, attitudes, and beliefs of those who make up the population are essentially the building blocks of society. The specific roles of men and women have been debated for as long as they have existed for humans. In very early times structure of society was very rigid and there was strong promotion of conformity of all classes. Over time, however, these rigid lines have been blurred due to a questioning of equality among the sexes. The roles have diffused each other and seem to have reached an almost equal standard. Complete equality is a difficult concept for us, as humans, to accept. As women we want to be treated equally, yet when it comes to taking out the garbage we usually ask a man to do it. Similarly, men would like women to be independent of them but if you misplace their screwdriver you become banned from the toolbox. Two short stories by Shirley Jackson, The Lottery and Like Mother Used to Make act to juxtapose each other when observing the roles of men and women.

The specific roles of men and women are depicted in both stories. In The Lottery Jackson has the men arriving at the drawing first followed by the women. The men do not even arrive with the women, this shows societies value placed on the man, such that they care little for the women and are not anticipating the horror in the act that they are about to encounter. The men are the higher power and have more authority then the women over the obedience of the children. Although the women stay home and take care of the kids and cook for them and clean, it is the power of the father, which is of greater importance. When called upon by their mothers, the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times ( 132). One child in the story ignores his mother s call, but when his father spoke up sharply Bobby came quickly and took his place between his father and his oldest brother ( 132). This quote shows how there is more power in the male figure in the children s lives. This story enforces an unfair distinction in class status between men and women.

Women are subordinate in the social power structure of the village as shown when Mrs. Hutchinson s family is chosen in the first round. Mrs. Hutchinson complains that her daughter and son-in-law hadn t drawn a ticket yet. She is reminded by Mr. Summers that daughters draw for their husbands families ( 136). This shows that the society has placed greater importance on the man whose family a woman is married into, over the family that a woman was born into. The power is exclusively held in the hands of males in families. Women as inferior housewives, must submit to their husbands power over them because as men in the work force they link the woman into society. By marrying them, as if done as a favor, the men have given the lives of the women value.

The role men and women are expected to fulfill in The Lottery show a firm division between the genders. When the card with winning card is drawn the townspeople begin asking questions such as Who is it. Who s got it. Is it the Dunbars. Is it the Watsons. ( 135). Simply put, Mr. Dunbar s leg is broken and Mr. Watson is dead, thus making them the most unproductive families in the village. Mr. Dunbar as a man is unable to provide for his family, therefore the villagers expect that he has drawn the card. It is expected that those who do not fulfill their duties as townspeople are expendable.

In contrast to the gender roles in The Lottery Shirley Jackson wrote the short story entitled, Like Mother Used to Make. It is a story whose theme is the role of men and women in society. Again we see the gender role emphasis in Jackson s writing. Yet, in this story the two main characters, Davie and Marcia, deviate from the roles of society s norms. At first independent Marcia is a refreshing change from the typically oppressed women portrayed in The Lottery. As we become well acquainted with Marcia we grasp her true nature, which in direct contrast to David s calm and slow paced attitude, is thrust onto the reader with overwhelming force. This story [exhibits] a blend of gender characteristics. Reversing the usual male-female stereotypes, Jackson shows David s pleasure in domestic matters (Hall 15). David takes his time and appreciates small details, when setting the table for dinner Jackson writes,

First, the tablecloth, pale green, of course. And two fresh green napkins. The orange plates and the precise cup and saucer at each place. The plate of rolls in the center, and the odd salt and pepper shakers, like two green frogs. Two glasses-they came from the five and ten, but they had thin green bands around them-and finally, with great care, the silverware. Gradually, tenderly David was buying himself a complete set of silverware He had chosen a sedate, pretty pattern one that would be fine with any sort of table setting The silverware lay in a tarnish-proof box on a high shelf all to itself finally he stood back, checking everything and admiring the table, shining and clean ( 128).

Shortly thereafter, and in direct opposition Marcia explodes into the room disrupting the calm serene scene set by David. Jackso