In the late 1960s and 1970s, the social construction of gender became a hot topic of debate among feminist theorists. The argument that patriarchal values ​​rooted in American culture (rather than purely biological factors) were responsible for the construction of male and female roles in society has met with intense criticism. Before the introduction of gender construction theory, many theories regarding gender were based on the idea that only biological factors determined the roles of men and women in society. During the 1960s and 1970s, however, a rift formed between those whose thoughts on gender roles had evolved and those who remained true to the belief that the traditional roles of men and women should remain intact. In Ragtime, a novel written in the mid-1970s in the midst of this controversial debate, E.L. Doctorow uses the revolutionary theory of gender construction to explore masculinity and femininity in the early 1900s and its effect on fictional and non-fictional characters. fantasy of his film work. Perhaps not the main subject of the novel, its characterization of women (particularly Evelyn Nesbit and Mother) as victims of their femininity is an integral part of the plot. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The comparison and contrast between Evelyn and Mom and their feelings toward the importance of their appearance, their sexuality, and their relationships with men reveals how the patriarchal construction of gender in early American culture 20th century limited women to purely “feminine” roles that oppressed their ability to become independent members of society. From a young age, Evelyn's mother taught her that she could use her beauty as a tool to fit into upper-class society. Due to her mother's insistence that she use her beauty to secure an advantageous marriage, Evelyn agrees to take a vacation with Harry K. Thaw, one of the richest men in the country, and finds herself semi-trapped in an abusive situation . Only when she realizes that her beauty might be sacrificed if Harry continues to physically abuse her does she decide that “their relationship had gone beyond her tacit understanding” (Doctorow 23) and asks to be sent home. Evelyn appreciates her looks only because she sees that her beauty is a trait greatly admired by the men in her life. The reaction she receives from her audience of admirers determines her self-esteem and because she can control her appearance, she feels like she has power over that part of her life. However, she soon realizes that her beauty, like her power over men, lasts only temporarily. For the first time, she begins to doubt whether she can continue to rely on her beauty when she "gaze[s] herself in the mirror and see[s] the unmistakable features of femininity emerging on her girlish face" (Doctorow 88). . Evelyn has never tried to accomplish anything on her own without using her looks to her advantage. She has no idea what will happen to her once her beauty begins to fade and men are no longer willing to pay for her to live like an aristocrat. Her beauty becomes a disadvantage to her as she realizes that the control she thought she had over her life never existed. She has maintained her appearance solely for the pleasure of the men in her life, and she is reminded, when she sees the signs of aging on her face, that her life has always been under the control of those men. In his article on social factors that leadwomen to become dependent on men, Carol Gilligan states her beliefs about how women are raised to believe that "intimacy goes hand in hand with identity" and that "a woman comes to know herself as she is known, through his relationships with others" (12). In Evelyn's case, she has become accustomed to having a flock of admirers obsessed with her beauty. She defines herself through their treatment of her as a defenseless, simple and delicate object because she has been raised to believe that it is their opinion of her, and not hers, that counts. In this way, Evelyn creates her own femininity through the patriarchal perspective of the men in her life. Although Mother and Evelyn Nesbit appear to come from completely different backgrounds, their reliance on their appearance to secure their future is similar as they both use Western notions of femininity to attract possible mates. The mother, for example, is described as having "golden hair which she wore in the style of the day" (Doctorow 68). Although the mother is already married when this description of her is presented in the text, Doctorow makes it clear that she is still aware of current social views on the role of women in the family because, despite the security of already having a family and a home, the mother continues to follow current trends. When the father leaves for his long trip, the mother finally manages to free herself a little from the social restrictions that control her when her husband is present and decides not to "take the time to fix her hair but to let it hang on her shoulders all day ". "(Doctorow 234). The mother's femininity is a spectacle that she offers to her husband and the audience to believe that she is a decent woman. She wears her hair tied tightly on her head when she thinks someone might look at her because wearing it loose on her shoulders suggests a certain boldness that women like Mother should not have. Mother has been “trained” to be the embodiment of the perfect wife through the rigid social restrictions that have shaped her femininity. However, she finds that her temporary escape from those restrictions (melt hair) reveals to her a beauty about herself that has nothing to do with her feminine appearance. In this way, “the Mother seems to become, simply through practical experience, a practical example of the abstract doctrines of women's liberation. ” (Morris 91). Although the mother never takes any radical steps to free herself from the husband she has never loved, she seems to make changes in her life that make her happier and is able to reject some of her restrictive feminine roles in ​​so you can look for ways to become more independent. Although Evelyn takes immense pleasure in the attention she receives from men, her sexuality, because it is framed entirely by her vision of masculinity and femininity, is a part of her that is for the men in her life rather than for men. for herself. During her first sexual experience with Harry K. Thaw, "he took off her robe, threw her across the bed, and applied a dog whip to her buttocks and the backs of her thighs. " (Doctorow 23) . Evelyn's sexuality was shaped by her beliefs about her role as a woman. Because she is considered the epitome of femininity, she does not feel entitled to have a sexuality of her own. As in the case of Harry Thaw, his body is a sexual instrument for male pleasure rather than his own. Even when he finally lets go of the stigmas that repress his sexual desires and allows himself to experience sexual pleasure, his exploration of his sexuality is interrupted by the Younger Brother as he, “fell [fell] into the room… and splatters of semen traceThey [traced] the air like bullets and finally settled [settled] on Evelyn” (Doctorow 63-64). Once again, Evelyn is forced to realize that male sexuality constantly overshadows her own. Although she is able to take a step towards finding what can bring her pleasure, she is blocked by the invisible social restrictions that prevent her from seeing herself as an individual rather than an object. In an interview with Doctorow, she discusses her concern with sex as power which reveals why Evelyn is unable to truly realize her own sexuality. Doctorow claims to “use sex as a metaphor for political relationships, helplessly noting what passes for sex in a society suffering from paternalistic distortions” (121). Because Evelyn will never be able to overcome the social forces that designate her as a second-class citizen, her notions of her own sexuality will also remain unchanged. Evelyn is too entrenched in the patriarchal social structure and its “paternalistic distortions” to realize that her sexuality is affected by it. Similar to Evelyn, the mother represses her sexual desires and allows her husband to use her body exclusively for his own pleasure. Before her father leaves on a long trip, she allows him to have sex with her but she "closes her eyes and keeps her hands over her ears" (Doctorow 12) until he finishes. For Mother (and Evelyn), sex is a duty to be performed by their husbands; it is not an act that both parties can enjoy. “Feminine” women like the mother should not have sexual desires of their own because sexual urges are seen as masculine behavior. Yet, as times change before Mom's eyes, she begins to desire independence from her traditional, restrictive marriage and sees sex with her husband as an "intrusion, not like the old days but with some awareness, some sort of expectation on the skin pounding [pounding] from her” (Doctorow 249) After the father leaves on his long journey, the mother tries to find herself as an individual rather than as a wife and mother. she is able to look at her life differently during her husband's absence because she takes the time to read and learn about the social movements that were taking place in the United States at the time. While Evelyn simply replaces her husband with new men who they will take care of her, the mother realizes that she should not define herself in relation to her husband and distances herself from the father when he returns. While Evelyn feels powerful in the knowledge of the effect her beauty has on men, her marriage to Harry K. Thaw ruins her illusion of control over him and her own life. When Harry commits murder and is put on trial, Evelyn realizes that her livelihood depends entirely on her ability to characterize herself and her husband as perfect examples of feminine and masculine nature. When he testifies on his behalf, he portrays “Harry as the victim of an overwhelming need to find honor for himself and his young bride. She performs [performed] flawlessly” (Doctorow 85). Evelyn takes a stand ready to present herself as the epitome of femininity. The victim of rape perpetrated by the murdered man, Evelyn pretends that her potential to become a real woman has been destroyed. The only way to regain her honor, in her husband's eyes, was to kill the man who had "ruined" his wife. When this story is presented, the jury tends to agree that Harry was simply fulfilling his masculine role in protecting his young bride and gender is actually used by the defendant as a motive behind his act of manliness.