# Gender and Sexual Double Standards in The Green Hat

> Theme guide for The Green Hat by Michael Arlen.

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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/iii): Iris's story of the emerald ring reveals Hector's suspicion and the double standard of trust in marriage.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/i): Cherry-Marvel's comments about women and surgery reflect societal attitudes toward female biology and mental health.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/ii): The narrator's irritation at Iris's indifference and his paternalistic questioning ('Happy, Iris?') highlight gendered expectations and power dynamics.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/ii): The women's boldness in bathing and the men's protective yet controlling attitudes reflect the era's complex gender dynamics.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/chapters/iii): Iris is judged harshly for being a woman who acts on her desires, while men are not similarly condemned.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/themes/gender_and_sexual_double_standards
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_green_hat_se/themes