Anne Tyler introduces the matter of political injustice among men and women by revealing the patriarchal advantage of men in a stereotypical family dynamic. This is explicit in Ladder of Years when Delia begins to question Sam’s motives for their marriage. In a formulaic binary world, men are more advantageous than women and women are often subordinate to men. According to Tim Delaney, “feminists argue that a two-class society exist in which men control the means of production and women are exploited”. This is relevant in Ladder of Years as Delia recognizes that she is merely a victim of oppression as Sam makes full use of her and derives benefit from her resources for his own personal motives. She explicitly acknowledges the gender inequality when she realizes that Sam “arrive[s] that…show more content… The political inequality between genders is evident as it shows the power of men over women. Anne Tyler portrays the superiority of men through the character of Sam. Sam, with a medical profession, is an educated and remotely wealthy man, thus, automatically giving him an authoritative position. Sam’s plan to marry one of the Felson’s girls, for his own benefit, shows the orthodox stereotype that men have the power to easily possess women. Moreover, given that Sam has most of the control and has the luxury to choose who he marries, emphasizes the transparency of women's individual rights to choose for themselves. In addition, labelling and displaying the Felson girls as “marriageable maidens one, two, and three” indicates that they are, indeed, objectified. Furthermore, the numerical labels largely degrades the value of women, their individuality, and their rights. This unjust dynamic in their relationship contributes to Delia’s severe discontent, which later influences her to seek