Femininity In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

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Masculinity vs. Femininity The members from traditional communities enforce gender roles, created by society. Men are portrayed as strong, aggressive, and controlling. Women are portrayed as passive, and nurturing. Both “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates and “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Ernest Hemingway, focus on the gender roles in society. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates takes place during the time period where men, and women roles are being questioned. The story explores the repressive attitude towards sexuality, as well as violence toward women. “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, gender is an essential component of civilization, where men and women are almost equal. The story explores that the traditional roles are made-up. In both short stories we can see the difference between the time periods, and the struggles between masculinity and femininity. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, is written in the third person limited omniscient, which is told from the point of…show more content…
She was to sided, a walk for at home and a walk when she was out with people. She has a voice of a sense of humor, where at home she would have a different one when she was with her friends. This sort of duplicity in her own character and her lake of sincerity and honesty actually comes back to hurt her in this problematic way. Women are constantly are at a situation where which they have to fear retribution from a stronger male figure at any point in their lives. The stereotypes between the gender roles are that women are troublesome and vulnerable. Men are seen as strong, mysterious, and overpowering. To feel empowered Connie needs to be pretty, ”She knew she was pretty and that was everything”(Oates 23). All males were either creepy or passive. Women were either portrayed as stereotypical housewives or as a

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