Gender Roles in Literature - 1573 Words

Gender roles play a significant part in all literature. Throughout history men and women have been represented in a variety of different ways. In some tales men and women are equals, while in others men are seen as superior to females. Their roles in the stories have to do with the cultural aspect of the society the story was written during, and when the story is supposed to take place. Examples of the importance of gender roles can be seen in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Jeremias Gotthelf’s The Black Spider. The role of the sexes is a main theme throughout the both plots. These works were written in two completely different time periods, as such the role of women, meaning what was expected of them, were significantly different. This is a one of the main differences in the pieces. Though they were written during different times both Dracula and The Black Spider were written with strong female characters. Also these female characters undergo a significant change. These cha nges were, predominantly, not for the better. From these works it could be suggested that if women hold independent and strong roles, they are often seen as evil or brought down by temptation. Comparing these two works by looking at both texts it is clear how much time changes the perception of women. This paper will focus on the role of women in both pieces of literature, how they are similar and how they are different. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the roles given to each gender are extremely important andShow MoreRelatedGender Roles in Childrens Literature2226 Words   |  9 PagesGender Bias in Literature Men Fix ThingsÂ…Girls Have Dolls -Shirley B. Ernst I have thought about many different ways to organize this paper and have come to the conclusion that the best way to approach the topic is on a book-by-book basis. 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