The Green Hat · Theme
Gender and Sexual Double Standards
How The Green Hat develops Gender and Sexual Double Standards.
Iris Storm is judged harshly for her sexual history and labeled a 'shameless, shameful lady,' while male characters like Gerald are afforded more complexity; the book critiques the unequal moral expectations placed on women.
Where it surfaces
- III
Iris's story of the emerald ring reveals Hector's suspicion and the double standard of trust in marriage.
- IV
Hilary condemns Iris as 'loose' for her affairs, while Boy's suicide is romanticized; the narrator challenges the unequal judgment of men and women.
- IV: Aphrodite
Iris is observed furtively by men who look at her 'like cows at a bull' because of her reputation, highlighting societal judgment of women with lovers.
- V: The Dark Letter
Iris's letter reveals her husband's abandonment during pregnancy and her own powerlessness; Cherry's comments about women and surgery hint at societal attitudes toward female bodies.
- I
Cherry-Marvel's comments about women and surgery reflect societal attitudes toward female biology and mental health.
- II
The narrator's sister criticizes his rudeness and lack of awareness about her suffering from septic poisoning after childbirth, highlighting gendered expectations and dismissiveness.
- II
The narrator's irritation at Iris's indifference and his paternalistic questioning ('Happy, Iris?') highlight gendered expectations and power dynamics.
- II
The women's boldness in bathing and the men's protective yet controlling attitudes reflect the era's complex gender dynamics.
- III
Iris is judged harshly for being a woman who acts on her desires, while men are not similarly condemned.