Topic > Analysis of Gender Roles in Kate Chopin's Story of an Hour

IndexIntroductionDiscussionConclusionReferencesIntroductionAn important issue that emerged towards the end of the 20th century was the question of gender. The issue of gender has become a topic that has entered into every social analysis, a topic in the debate on social change and has also become an important topic in discussions on development and social change. In recent times, various writings both in the mass media and in books, or activities such as seminars, debates, etc. they talk a lot about protests and lawsuits related to injustice and discrimination against women. Injustice and discrimination occur at almost all levels and sectors, from international, state, religious, social (social), cultural, economic, to family. The genus comes from the Latin "genus", meaning type or kind. Gender is a characteristic of the roles and responsibilities imposed on women and men, which is socially determined and does not come from the gift or nature of God. The concept of gender is the result of the social construction created by human beings, which is not permanent, it is changeable and can be transferred and exchanged depending on time, place and local culture from one sex to another. The concept of gender also includes the characteristics or characteristics of men and women created by family and/or society, which are influenced by culture and religious interpretations. For example, in general, cooking, taking care of children, washing are always mentioned only as women's jobs. This vision is the creation of a society out of a particular culture, although work can also be exchanged with men or be performed by men. But this view may differ from one culture to another. These characteristics or characteristics create a distinction between men and women called gender differentiation. This often results in different social roles between men and women. This role is learned and changes from time to time and from place to place. This social role or often called gender role influences the pattern of power relations between women and men which is often called gender relations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Discussion The term gender was originally developed as a social science analysis by Aan Oakley (1972). Since then, according to him, gender has been considered a good analytical tool for understanding the problem of discrimination against women in general. Gender is not the same as gender (sex). The concept of sex or gender represents more biological differences between women and men; on the difference between male and female bodies. So, when we talk about gender differences, we will discuss the biological differences that are generally found between men and women, such as differences in shape, height and weight in a person, in the structure of organs and reproductive functions, in sound, etc. While gender is a term used to describe the differences between men and women socially that shape them. Gender is a concept of social relations that distinguishes functions and roles between men and women. The difference in functions and roles between men and women is not determined because biological and natural differences exist, but rather based on their position, function and role in various fields of life and development. According to Mead, in the history and culture of Western societies there are personality differences between men and women. In this classification women are generally associated with certain personality traits such as maternal, non-aggressive, kind-hearted, helpful, emotional, dependent,forgiving, attentive to the needs of others and with a feminist sexuality. Men, on the other hand, are associated with tough, aggressive, dominant personality traits and strong sexuality. The diversity of social living conditions, a system is constituted on the basis of a consensusvalues ​​so that there is an interrelationship which is for the sake of something called harmony, stability and equilibrium (balance). This system requires an adequate number of actors, so that the function and structure of someone in the system determines whether stability or harmony is achieved. This applies to social systems: religion, education, political structure, family, in this case including gender. The socialization of the function of the structure is achieved through institutionalization, through socialized norms. Gender injustice and discrimination are conditions of inequality and inequality or are unjust as a result of a system of social structure in which both women and men are victims of the system. Gender injustice occurs due to the beliefs and justifications that are instilled in human confrontation in various forms that not only affect women but are also experienced by men. Although overall gender inequality across various lives is experienced more by women, gender inequality also affects men. In this essay, the writer will discuss gender issues that can be seen from a short story titled “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. Kate Chopin in her story written in 1984 tells the story of a woman named Mallard. have a heart health problem. One day the family reported that her husband had died in a train accident. Because of her heart condition, her sister had to be careful when giving her bad news. She was afraid that the news of her husband's death would give her a heart attack. she came up with a strategy on how to tell her sister the news little by little, which worked very well. Mallard did not react as expected, but began to cry. Mallard wonders how she can survive without a husband. She went into a room and locked herself to reflect on what her husband's death had brought into her life. She was sad that her husband had died. This sudden death shocked her. His younger sister, Josephine, and friends Richard and Louise were also grieving. When she was alone in the room, Mallard actually thought about the future. Unexpectedly, she contemplated her life without her husband. Despite her sadness, she began to calculate the best parts of her life without her husband. He saw many opportunities and freedom to do what he wanted in his life. she believes that the next few years will be perfect because she will only have to worry about herself. He even prayed for a long life. After some time he opened the door to Josephine, his sister who had a happy face. They went down the stairs of the house and Mr. Mallard appeared when he opened the gate. Mallard was not involved in the accident and could not understand why Josephine was crying. After seeing her husband, Mr. Mallard, his wife, Mrs. Mallard, collapsed and eventually died. Doctors said she died due to heart disease. From the fragment of the story "The Story of an Hour" we can see that after all Mrs. Mallard, who initially felt saddened by the news of her husband's grief, with a very calm flow, suddenly enjoyed her sadness which instead turned in happiness. She realized that without her husband she could move freely. This flow is also described through the symbols of flowers almost blooming, birds singing, and open windows bringing fresh air to Mrs. Mallard. touches that help Mrs. Mallard be happy and feel free. In a gender study, thestory of this story is a social criticism of feminists who at that time realized how the position based on gender was clearly not equal. How a woman has to submit to a man, how a woman will eventually become a wife, everything is limited by the husband. Here we can see how Mrs. Mallard realized that her love for her husband was closed from her free will by her husband's restrictions. The end of this story is when Mrs. Mallard proudly walked out of the room, feeling the happiness still flowing in her body, but suddenly a man arrived who turned out to be her husband.who survived the accident. Mrs. Mallard was very hysterical, not because she was happy to see her husband return, but she realized how happy she was to be free to fail. She too died of a happiness that is only an instant. The background of the storyAt that time, a woman had much lower rights than a man. There is a story about feminism; In the early 20th century, the women's movement in America began to collaborate with other women's movements. This collaboration is carried out to strengthen each other in expressing their problems. One of the minor victories of women in America in the early 20th century was the acceptance of the Nineteenth (Nineteen) Amendment. The amendment is an amendment to the law that guarantees the right to vote to all adults regardless of gender. Depressed living conditions can promote women's awareness of their own capabilities. The awareness of women's capabilities is no different from that of men which began to emerge in the 1940s. Furthermore, it cannot be separated from the outbreak of World War II. During the war, more than 6 million women had to work in various sectors previously performed by men. This moment made them realize that they could also work in different sectors that had previously been dominated by men. Around 1970 the issue of the growing women's movement began to take a step forward. They then raised the problem of sexual discrimination against women. The demand for equal rights and social justice for women does not work alone, along with that, Martin Luther King, Jr. fights for the elimination of racial discrimination in America. They finally took a step forward together and received enormous support from the American community. Following the urging, the United States Congress enacted a bill, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). However, during the ERA it failed to become an amendment because it did not reach 2/3 of the votes of 35 countries. So there are many literary works that talk about feminism to carry out social criticism especially towards differences in gender treatment as in the story written by Kate Chopin. With simple language and a short story, readers can easily grasp the message that a wife does not always experience happiness on the basis of love. The instinct of a wife as one who can give birth does not exclude the possibility that they can move more, like men. Fundamentally, gender differences exist based on social norms that are intentionally formed in certain social contexts. So feminists believe that male and female gender should be equal. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion The concept of gender also includes the characteristics or characteristics of men and women created by family and/or society, which are influenced by culture and religious interpretations. For example, in general, cooking, taking care of children, washing are