Gender stereotypes and roles are present in the people’s mind and can be found almost everywhere in daily life. Children and adults are confronted and influenced by those stereotypes, most of the time internalize them and behave according to their gender roles. Men and women perform different roles which are based on nothing more than their biological gender. Although these roles cannot be referred to each individual, the majority of people live out their lives in accordance to these pervasive roles.
To sum it up, gender is a central and “organizing category in social life” (Warren 7).
Women anthropologists from the 1920s up to the present time focused their research on Western women’s issues and examined women’s settings. Their result is that mainly the domestic sphere, child rearing, health and nutrition are the settings or the tasks ascribed to women. In part, this is - according to the anthropologists - a consequence of expectations associated with the society’s home territory and with Western anthropologist’s cultural assumptions. Additionally, the societies which were studied by these anthropologists were often highly gender-segregated and numerous roles and activities could be taken by one gender and were banned to the other (Warren 16).
To put in other words, most societies are “husband-centered” (Warren 14) and some of the societies studied “to a degree even greater than is customary in Western Europe and America”. (ibid.)
The novel “Bastard Out of Carolina” written by Dorothy Allison deals with gender stereotypes and tells the story of the so called ‘white trash’-girl Ruth ‘Bone’ Boatwright and her family. Allison critiques in the novel not only two of the most damaging bourgeois myths about “white trash” - illegitimacy and incest – but also the ideology of motherhood emphasizing a socially constructed gender system that cuts across social classes (Baker).
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Gender Studies
3 Gender Stereotypes in “Bastard Out of Carolina”
3.1 Glen and the Boatwright Uncles
3.2 Anney and the Boatwright Aunts
3.3 Ruth Anne “Bone” Boatwright and Aunt Raylene
4 Conclusion
Objectives & Core Topics
This academic paper examines the manifestation and social construction of gender roles and stereotypes as presented in Dorothy Allison’s novel "Bastard Out of Carolina." It analyzes how characters either internalize these traditional, patriarchal societal norms or challenge them, ultimately exploring how the author uses these figures to critique systemic power structures and the "white trash" myth.
- Analysis of gender identity theories and social constructionism.
- The portrayal of "white trash" gender stereotypes in the Boatwright family.
- The role of systemic patriarchy in domestic violence and incest.
- Comparison between characters who fulfill traditional gender roles and those who subvert them.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Glen and the Boatwright Uncles
The novel’s protagonist, Bone, describes the outward appearance of her Boatwright Uncles with the following: “They were all big men with wide shoulders, broken teeth and sunken features” (Allison 22). Bone also tells the reader about her uncle’s behavior and doing in their leisure time: “They tinkered with cars together on the weekends, standing around in the yard, sipping whiskey and talking dirty, kicking at the greasy remains of engines they never finished rebuilding” (ibid.). The Boatwright Uncles represent typical male stereotypes: they drink, have a bad and violent temper and can barely provide their families financially. Uncle Earle, Bone’s favorite uncle, seems to jump from one job to the other (Allison 24) and was also known as the “notorious and dangerous Black Earle Boatwright” (Allison 11).
Furthermore Uncle Earle is left by his wife because of lying and his infidelity (Allison 24). Serving as role models for the typical male stereotype being domineering and aggressive, Uncle Earle and two of his brothers went to jail for causing other men serious damage (Allison 12) and “rumor told deadly stories about the Boatwright boys, the kind of tales men whispered over whiskey when women were not around” (Allison 12). After this description it is clear that the typical gender stereotypes are used in this novel: men represent the strong and aggressive gender and tell each other violent stories when the weak and emotional female gender is not around. When the sheriff locks one of the uncles up for shooting or punching, his wife would accept it and would continue caring for the children (Allison 23). “What men did was just what men did” (Allison 23) and that was accepted by the ‘weaker women’.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the significance of gender as an organizing category in social life and introduces the thesis regarding gender roles in the novel.
2 Gender Studies: Discusses theoretical perspectives on gender, distinguishing between essentialist views and social constructionist interpretations of behavioral differences.
3 Gender Stereotypes in “Bastard Out of Carolina”: Analyzes the specific application of gender roles among family members in the novel.
3.1 Glen and the Boatwright Uncles: Examines how the male characters embody aggressive and domineering masculine stereotypes.
3.2 Anney and the Boatwright Aunts: Explores the female characters' internalization of patriarchal norms and their definition through motherhood.
3.3 Ruth Anne “Bone” Boatwright and Aunt Raylene: Contrasts the previous characters with Bone and Aunt Raylene, who resist and subvert traditional gender expectations.
4 Conclusion: Summarizes how Allison critiques patriarchal structures and the "white trash" myth by highlighting characters who reject traditional gender roles.
Keywords
Gender Roles, Gender Stereotypes, Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina, Social Constructionism, Patriarchy, White Trash, Motherhood, Incest, Boatwright Family, Feminism, Gender Identity, Domestic Violence, Kinship, Power Relations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper explores the representation of gender roles and societal stereotypes within Dorothy Allison's novel, analyzing how these roles influence the characters' behaviors and identities.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The central themes include the social construction of gender, the impact of patriarchal norms, the myth of "white trash," and the dynamics of power within families.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The goal is to demonstrate how Dorothy Allison critiques gender-based violence and societal myths by contrasting characters who conform to patriarchal expectations with those who resist them.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a literary analysis framework grounded in gender studies theory and social constructionist perspectives to interpret the narrative.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates the specific behaviors of the male and female characters in the Boatwright family, contrasting the conformist members with the rebellious figures of Bone and Aunt Raylene.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Gender Roles, Patriarchy, Social Constructionism, Dorothy Allison, and Boatwright Family.
How does Glen’s behavior reflect his internalized gender role?
Glen attempts to compensate for his failure to meet traditional provider roles through domestic violence, using his physical dominance to exert control over his wife and stepdaughter.
Why are Bone and Aunt Raylene considered exceptions?
They are exceptions because they reject the "romantic thralldom" and domestic dependency expected of women, choosing instead to define their own lives and identities outside the traditional patriarchal structure.
- Quote paper
- Anna Wertenbruch (Author), 2009, Gender Roles and Stereotypes in Dorothy Allison's "Bastard Out of Carolina", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/180012
