Gender Roles and Marriage

Where it surfaces

• IV

  The chapter explores the Stricklands' marriage: Mrs. Strickland is the sociable hostess, while Mr. Strickland is a dull provider, reflecting traditional gender roles and the question of why 'nice women marry dull men.'

• V

  Mrs. Strickland is portrayed as the ideal wife and mother, managing her home with elegance and speaking affectionately of her husband, reinforcing traditional gender roles.

• VI

  Mrs. Strickland manages the social sphere while her husband remains a passive, unremarkable presence, highlighting traditional marital roles.

• VII

  Mrs. Strickland is portrayed as the devoted wife and mother, while Charles Strickland is seen as a dull but adequate provider, reflecting traditional gender roles.

• Chapter VIII

  Mrs. Strickland's distress and the Colonel's outrage highlight the era's assumptions about marital obligations and female dependence.

• IX

  The discussion highlights the vulnerability of Mrs. Strickland as a wife left without financial support.

• Chapter X

  Mrs. Strickland's concern with social appearances and her role as a wife and mother reflect the constraints of marriage in this era.

• XVI

  Mrs. Strickland's strategic use of the false elopement story to gain sympathy and financial independence highlights the constraints and opportunities for women in marriage and society.

• XVII

  Mrs. Strickland's discomfort with her own business success and her refusal to let her daughter work or act highlight restrictive gender expectations.

• XLVI

  Captain Nichols's marriage is a portrait of domestic tyranny, with his wife controlling him utterly, contrasting with Strickland's abandonment of his family.