Literary Techniques: emotive language, imagery, personification, clich, irony, metaphor, symbolism, wordchoice handsome

Normal Gender Stereotypes: Men are typically portrayed as hard-working, rebellious and fulfilling a job in a male dominated profession.
In contrast to this, females are depicted as fragile and emotional, having the role of the housewife. The authors of the following texts have
made use of descriptive language, figurative language, symbolism and many more language techniques to the adherence or subversion to the
traditional gender stereotypes. More so each author represents their perspective of gender, based on stereotypes
Drovers Wife: Subversion She rode nineteen miles, for assistance, carrying the dead child,
She will not take them into the house, for she knows the snake is there, and may at any moment come up through a crack in the rough slab
floor; so she carries several armfuls of firewood into the kitchen, and then takes the children there
: The Drovers Wife is a short story by Henry Lawson about a woman who is left alone in the harsh Australian bush to look after the house
and children while her husband is away sheep droving
Shes gaunt and sun-browned. She lives with her 4 children while her husband is out droving. She is used to being alone.
Goes so far to the extent of sacrificing sleep to better protect the children from the snake She makes a bed on the kitchen table for the
children, and sits down beside it to watch all night.
She is not a coward, but recent events have shaken her nerves. A little son of her brother-in-law was lately bitten by a snake, and died
Drovers wife says she is used to being left alone. She once lived like this for eighteen months
She stresses that the monotony is not a problem for her, and that she would feel strange away from it. By repeating the fact that she is used
to loneliness, she is able to cope with being alone for so long.
Appears emotional at various situations, when flood breaks the dam that husband built, her heart is nearly broken into two, for she thinks
how the husband would of feel when he sees years of labour swept away. She cries then, it is not for herself that she cries, but for her
husband. Furthermore, nearing end of story, after snake dies She takes up a handkerchief to wipe the tears away beneath her tough exterior,
is a sensitive and semimetal woman, a trait associated with female gender
Challenges female gender stereotypes as the female in the story takes the male role. For example she puts out fires, kills snakes, looks after
the house.
Theme: Survival, Independence, Strong, motherly figure care for child.
Qualities Possessed: Strong, protective, independent, unconcerned about appearance,
Chrysanthemums
Sum: Chrysanthemums unfolds with a isolated valley where Elisa Allen and her husband reside in. She partakes in domestic work, the
author gives her an elaborate description, possesses female and male traits. Her male interests go unnoticed. Many men unthinkingly
accepted the conventional wisdom that working husbands and a decent amount of money were the only things women needed
During the first scene when she is first introduced, she is gardening as she wears her "gardening costume" which completely masks her
femininity. It is ironic that gardening, an activity often associated with domestic femininity, is significant in highlighting Elisa's masculinity.
Represents the female gender as not focused on having the perfect appearance and the absence of desiring to be perfect, instead seeming
strong and independent.
Her interest in the business side of the ranch goes unnoticed
Elisa Allen feeble and sensitive persona is apparent through the use of similes She was crying weakly-like an old woman. This shows that
females can be very obscure with their feelings.
On the contrary, Elisa Allen depicts the housewife role of the household spending long hours cleaning the hard-swept looking house, with
The author presents to the audience that men are deceitful and adventurous, but at various times are depicted as emotional. (Tinker)
Henry is everything a woman should want in a husband: he provides for her, treats her with respect, and even takes her out every now and
then.
His benevolent, sometimes dismissive attitude toward his wifewho is undoubtedly smarter highlights societys inability to treat women
as equals.
Her figure was blocked and heavy in her gardening costume (symbolism), a man's black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clodhopper
shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron. (5) (Extensive and elaborate detail on clothing, suggesting
the norm of females to be concerned with looks)
Her face was eager and mature and handsome; even her work with the chrysanthemums was over-eager, over-powerful (handsome is a word
that is not used to describe females, why not beautiful etc..?)

The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy. (she possesses abnormal strength, too easy, she has done it so
much times its unchallenging and wants to do something more challenging like business. In fact, she's so powerful that the stems
Elisa Allen, working in her flower garden, looked down across the yard and saw Henry, her husband, talking to two men in business suits.
(Indicative of her interest in business as she casts multiple glances)
Henry puts on his joking tone. Theres Fights tonight. Howd would you like to go to the fights? (he automatically assumes that females are not interested in
these, and would rather do something else, evident with joking tone and speaks in a condescending matter. as if to say she is a woman what fun could she
possibly have at such a gruesome event. And really, what's so funny about a woman going to a fight? A
her offers of helping her husband to ranch are treated with well-meant condescension,
she's wearing a gender-bending outfit that conceals her body, making "her figure [look] blocked and heavy" (5). The fact that she's wearing men's clothes might
mean that Elisa's the kind of lady who isn't afraid to go against what's expected of a woman.
The narrator calls her strong, towards the end of the story, she even declares herself as strong, Im strong.. I never knew before how strong. you're so
strong, why does the story end with you "crying weakly like an old woman"?
When conversing with the tinker, the tinker flattens her. She touched under the edge of her man's hat, searching for fugitive hairs. She's definitely not looking
her best, and here we see her self-consciously fixing her hair a classically feminine gesture. She cares for her appearance.

She put on her newest underclothing and her nicest stockings and the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness. She worked carefully on her hair, penciled
her eyebrows and rouged her lips. This hardly seems like the same lady at all. This Elisa is feminine, pretty, and polished. Contradictive to her appearance
earlier on the story.
Elisa so lonely is the simple fact that she's a woman. While the men do business and work the ranch, Elisa gardens and cleans
It also reinforces the stereotypes as the female does the domestic work and is vulnerable to the influences of men.
Qualities Possessed : Interest in business, strong and powerful, adherence to gender stereotypes

Boys Dont Cry. (Oxymoron)

Subversion, when Dante takes care of the baby, instead of focusing on Uni. Subversion when Emma leaves her baby. Suddenly, the gender roles have switched.
Recalls of a time where he partakes in a test that determines his university qualification. Hes so fixated and contemplates on performing well, even after the
tests. He is extremely confident, though he allures to ridiculous ideas that could have altered his marks the marker was in a bad mood, a cosmic ray could of
hit and altered all his answers. Shows how important education is, reinforcing the traditional role of men being the Bread Winner, as they need a good
education to get a financially secure job. There was no other choice. shows no alternative path, also reinforcing male gender stereotypes.
Mel doesn't come back and Dante is left alone. But what can he do when he knows that boys simply don't cry?
My results were my life.
It is a sharp reminder not to judge Melanie too harshly for running out (another stereotype it is considered pretty normal for the father to leave, but unforgivable if the mother does). (Melanie left her baby, Emma, in Dantes hands).
The expression on the womans face changed dramatically. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open in shock. Shes your daughter? she asked scandalized. She
didnt say it quietly either. (When he takes Emma out for the first time shopping, has to deal with prejudices and judgements from others)
The Paper Bag Princess
In the beginning, Princess Elizabeth is introduced as a beautiful princess that had expensive princess cloths. She is pictured wearing a long pink dress and
blond hair.
She looks dirty and sloppy which would not be desirable to most people.
Accordingly, Ronalds first reaction to being saved is not to thank Elizabeth for risking her own life, but to criticize her appearance. Ronald observes,
Elizabeth, you are a mess! You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real
princess.

She looks everywhere, but only finds a paper bag

Themes: Reversing traditional gender roles, appearance is redundant, its whats in the hearts that counts.
Qualities Possessed : Strong, independent , manipulative, pays no heed to her appearance, knight in shining armor

Representations of gender are not defined in any singular way but can be safely assumed that male and female representations are mostly based upon gender
stereotypes.

Authors represent gender in a stereotypical/ subverted manner/