Blog #8

Gender roles are something that have a prominent influence in society. Dorothy Parker, a satiric poet, comments on gender role in her poem "Penelope." The allusion to the Odyssey creates a clear picture of how gender roles, even in ancient Greek mythology, was current in her own time, 1929, and is still a current issue. The perfect housewife that stays at home, takes care of the family and the house while her husband is out doing "heroic" is not recognized as heroic or brave but rather a woman's job without question. Penelope, Odysseus' wife, waits 20 years time for her husband's return fighting off suitors and keeping everything under control while her husband is sleeping around but is still recognized as the hero. Dorothy recognizes the unchanging gender roles and says that the man that goes out and does something is called brave. The movie Pleasantville is example of a housewife that stay home, cleans, cooks and takes care of the children. That is the only thing she knows how to do. The patriarchy controls everything in the movie and no one knows what happens outside of their black and white town. In today's society, gender roles are constantly be fought as there are many efforts to create equality and push for change. Free the Nipple is a movement that has become popular as women walk around topless to help raise awareness about inequality between men and women.