Role Play
Strung together by a common theme, the short story “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Zora Neale Hurston and the poems “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell explore the roles and expectations of women in society—inferring the views of both fellow women and men. Although presented in different forms, each of these pieces makes a specific claim to the way in which men and women relate in both conventional and unconventional ways.
Zora Neale Hurston introduces the reader to a newly wed couple, Joe and Missie May who happen to live in a “Negro settlement”—suggesting that she is going to present certain differences because of the ethnicity of the characters, however, we later find that this is untrue and that the way in which both black and white women are depicted are in fact similar. Hurston describes the couple in a conventional fashion. They live in a house with a clean-cut lawn and a white-picket fence surrounding their property. Missie May and Joe live their lives in a cookie-cutter fashion. Joe works while Missie stays and tends to the housekeeping. She makes sure that the house is spotless and that the meals are ready upon the return of her husband. Typical to the stereotype of most housewives, Missie does her womanly tasks. Further revealing Missie’s role and the assumed roles of all women, Joe makes certain remarks throughout the plot. For example, he says “Woman ain’t got no business in a man’s clothes nohow,” (366) and “sweetinin’ is for us men-folks. Y’all pretty lil frail eels don’t need nothing lak dis” (367). Both of these statements reveal clear, idealized differences between the roles of men and women. In Joe’s eyes and the male perspective, women like Missie are supposed to maintain a house, their appearance, to be loving and willing to please, and to be charming to others while upholding the sacred vows of marriage.
The poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell, divulges a similar perspective of the female role and the male’s expectations. As it was common during the era during which Marvell lived, a woman was thought to be the object of a gentlemen’s eye and she was expected to display shyness or “coyness” to provoke the affection of her suitors. Within the framework of this poem, the speaker, in a poetic fashion, manipulates the woman to have sexual relations with him. Using specific diction, such as “I would love you ten years before the floor And you should, if you please, refuse Till the conversion of the Jews” (lines 8-10), the speaker makes claims that his love for her and his willingness to wait to consummate their love will last forever. Continuing in the first part of the poem, are his attempts to flatter his beloved. He states that “An hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes…an age to every part…For lady, you deserve this state” (lines 17-19). After he makes these claims, however, there is a shift in the tempo and rhythm of the poem. Beginning the next statement with the word “But” signifies that there is something else that he needs to express that she, his hopeful, may not like to hear. He denotes that he is committed to his goal to satisfy her; however, if she is not going to give him any insights as to whether or not she will eventually satisfy his desires, he will not want to wait for her. Personifying the word “Time,” the speaker implies that her beauty and both of their lifetimes will not last forever. Throughout the poem, the speaker implies a sense of a woman’s worth that is based upon her virginity—the man whom she saves herself for will define who she is as a human being.
In the final poem, “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, the speaker provides a more unconventional perspective than the other pieces. Specifically, she provides an interesting situation where she brings forth the true feelings of a woman once she has already lost her virginity. Speaking for herself, on behalf of her experience with men and life in general, she exposes a very blunt account of her relationships with men. Addressing a former love, she lets him know that when she was with him, especially within a sexual act, she found his “person fair, and [felt] a certain zest/ To bear your body’s weight upon my breast” (lines 4-5). She exposes herself to be a love-weary woman, however, when she notes that her relationship, one which seemed to be burdened by unrequited love, has caused a clarity of the “pulse and a clouded mind” (line 7)—admitting that she has fallen in love with him and his earthly aspects and with this, she loses her sense of the truth and her grasp of who she is. Taking a turn in the last few lines of the poem, the speaker changes the rhythm as she finally realizes that although they have expressed their love physically, it will never transcend its material form. The expression of these feelings were very uncommon during Millay’s lifetime, women were supposed to be mostly passive figures and as an account from the woman’s perspective of weak, material love it serves a very bold and original purpose.
These literary pieces provide a basis for viewing the ideal roles of women and the standards and opinions that shape these roles. While differing in context, their over-arching themes provide a clear message to readers, specifically, that the ideal woman is expected to maintain a house and the resulting chores, to be lovely and charismatic in person, to save her virginity for the right person, but also to be ready for sex when her suitor wants her. Providing an alternate view of these ideals is the final poem that conveys the feelings of the woman who are expected to live up to these standards.
Zora Neale Hurston introduces the reader to a newly wed couple, Joe and Missie May who happen to live in a “Negro settlement”—suggesting that she is going to present certain differences because of the ethnicity of the characters, however, we later find that this is untrue and that the way in which both black and white women are depicted are in fact similar. Hurston describes the couple in a conventional fashion. They live in a house with a clean-cut lawn and a white-picket fence surrounding their property. Missie May and Joe live their lives in a cookie-cutter fashion. Joe works while Missie stays and tends to the housekeeping. She makes sure that the house is spotless and that the meals are ready upon the return of her husband. Typical to the stereotype of most housewives, Missie does her womanly tasks. Further revealing Missie’s role and the assumed roles of all women, Joe makes certain remarks throughout the plot. For example, he says “Woman ain’t got no business in a man’s clothes nohow,” (366) and “sweetinin’ is for us men-folks. Y’all pretty lil frail eels don’t need nothing lak dis” (367). Both of these statements reveal clear, idealized differences between the roles of men and women. In Joe’s eyes and the male perspective, women like Missie are supposed to maintain a house, their appearance, to be loving and willing to please, and to be charming to others while upholding the sacred vows of marriage.
The poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell, divulges a similar perspective of the female role and the male’s expectations. As it was common during the era during which Marvell lived, a woman was thought to be the object of a gentlemen’s eye and she was expected to display shyness or “coyness” to provoke the affection of her suitors. Within the framework of this poem, the speaker, in a poetic fashion, manipulates the woman to have sexual relations with him. Using specific diction, such as “I would love you ten years before the floor And you should, if you please, refuse Till the conversion of the Jews” (lines 8-10), the speaker makes claims that his love for her and his willingness to wait to consummate their love will last forever. Continuing in the first part of the poem, are his attempts to flatter his beloved. He states that “An hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes…an age to every part…For lady, you deserve this state” (lines 17-19). After he makes these claims, however, there is a shift in the tempo and rhythm of the poem. Beginning the next statement with the word “But” signifies that there is something else that he needs to express that she, his hopeful, may not like to hear. He denotes that he is committed to his goal to satisfy her; however, if she is not going to give him any insights as to whether or not she will eventually satisfy his desires, he will not want to wait for her. Personifying the word “Time,” the speaker implies that her beauty and both of their lifetimes will not last forever. Throughout the poem, the speaker implies a sense of a woman’s worth that is based upon her virginity—the man whom she saves herself for will define who she is as a human being.
In the final poem, “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, the speaker provides a more unconventional perspective than the other pieces. Specifically, she provides an interesting situation where she brings forth the true feelings of a woman once she has already lost her virginity. Speaking for herself, on behalf of her experience with men and life in general, she exposes a very blunt account of her relationships with men. Addressing a former love, she lets him know that when she was with him, especially within a sexual act, she found his “person fair, and [felt] a certain zest/ To bear your body’s weight upon my breast” (lines 4-5). She exposes herself to be a love-weary woman, however, when she notes that her relationship, one which seemed to be burdened by unrequited love, has caused a clarity of the “pulse and a clouded mind” (line 7)—admitting that she has fallen in love with him and his earthly aspects and with this, she loses her sense of the truth and her grasp of who she is. Taking a turn in the last few lines of the poem, the speaker changes the rhythm as she finally realizes that although they have expressed their love physically, it will never transcend its material form. The expression of these feelings were very uncommon during Millay’s lifetime, women were supposed to be mostly passive figures and as an account from the woman’s perspective of weak, material love it serves a very bold and original purpose.
These literary pieces provide a basis for viewing the ideal roles of women and the standards and opinions that shape these roles. While differing in context, their over-arching themes provide a clear message to readers, specifically, that the ideal woman is expected to maintain a house and the resulting chores, to be lovely and charismatic in person, to save her virginity for the right person, but also to be ready for sex when her suitor wants her. Providing an alternate view of these ideals is the final poem that conveys the feelings of the woman who are expected to live up to these standards.
posted by Molly F. @ 2:48 PM
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