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Karla Loya a
English 115
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Professor Ditch f
06 November 2017
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Gender Performances #" Er".y-h.r.

The novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society rs an novel. Which

is a book or any literary work wriffen in various letters. The novel place durirrg WWII and

t|, the main character, Juliet, is writing to people who were controlled the German soldiers in the
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islands of Guemsey. The only way the citizens of Guemsey coped wds creating a book club to

keep them distracted from what r/as happening around them. Juliet is writing a serious of articles

on their stories so she goes to Cr"*r"y herself to.get a firsthand experience. From The Guernsey

Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocieQ Mark Reynolds and Juliet Ashton are two significant

characters. More performances drastically change throughout the book c"CI

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This is because society them to a specific way due to their surroundings. Society
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)ti controls our performances since it these specific rules to followl Which arc+haffiing--
At ffi each sex should act accordinglyto theirprescribed gender
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However
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though Mark even conforms to his prescribed gender roles, J free and conforms to
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prescribed gender (
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, ji;r'I Juliet are two different is that they
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are of different sex. However, there is more to define who they are. Mark (tta'$dqt\
Reynolds is a flirtatious, handsome, and He is portrayed as a ls ln
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control of everything. As tries to impress Juliet with his money, r,vhich does not work in the

end. Since he ruins his chance by his anger and the of him. As for

.Iuliet, she is educated, considerate, and stands up for what she believes in and

loves. For example, Juliet to marry this man that she did care for. He decided

to get rid of offher shelfto put his possessions. She got upset and out and

did him.

Gender is now commonly used to distinguish someone from male or female. When the

tetm sex should be used to distinguish the two. Sex refers to the diffbrence in reprodirctive organs

that males and females have. Society has made us believe that males are more dominant while

females are submissive. In the book Rhetoric 1-

"for Radicals the author Del Gandio states "For ."t
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instance, women are still seen as birth-givers, as caretakers, as dainty and feminine sexual objects
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and as less valuable workers" (20). These are the views many have of women and are expected to r$
behave It taken a rl
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long time to get some that are men, in
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the article "Night to His Day: The Social Construction of the author, Lorber,
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"gender ranks men above women of the same race and class" (28). Men are always ranked above .1

hold
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caused us to think this way since it has created these norms for us to follow a long time ago.
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article "Rethinking Women's Biology" by Ruth Hubbard from the book Composing Genderrtut.i rl- )t
"our society's interpretations of what is and is not normal and natural affects what we do... Thus.
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norms are self-fulfilling prophecies that do not merely describe how we are but prescribe how we
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be" (47). aut{LOr eiplains why there are gender noilns, which is because theyf i
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supposedly help to avoid awkwardness so everyone feels a sense of safety. Therefore, it is not who

we truly are but what we are expected to be.

Mark Reynolds is a stereotypical dominant male who conforms to his prescribed gender

norrns. Some characteristics of a dominant male would include domineering, authoritative, and

self-centered. Mark can be described as someone from upper class since he is rich, and is interested

in finding himself a wife. In the article "Sex Differences in Social Cynicism Across Societies: The

Role of Men's Higher Competitiveness and Male Dominance" by Kwok Leung, Fuli Li, and Fan

Zhou "The finding that men are more cynical than women..." (1154). Someone who is

by self-interest. Which describes who Mark is. Everything Mark does even

though it might seem like he is doing it out of kindness it is usually in his best interest. Mainly

because all he wants is a wife for himself. Which is why he does whatever he can to win over

Juliet. In a letter Juliet writes to Mark she states, "Now I can thank you for the dozens of flowers

you've sent me" (Shaffer, Barrows lZ-l+fiX,tark has been sending Juliet flowers and this is

typically a masculine behavior. He is trying to persuade her into liking him so he can gain some

ffust to take her out on a proper date. Then in a letter he wrote to Juliet, Mark writes, "Your being a-\
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elusive and I don't like it. I don't want to see the play with someone else- I want to go with you.
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Mark. Therefore, making Mark upset, demanding her to stay with him. He is trying to control her

and tell her what to do. Since he believes it is what is best for her when it's what he really wants.

He puts himself above her. Therefore, Mark conforms to his prescribed gender norms because c{*
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society tells men to be dominant and be in power

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-ffuo"grrJ"t the bookithere is evidence where Juliet conforms to her prescribed gender
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norrns which@ feminine. Being feminine includes being expressive, motherly, and patient.

M Juliet writes, "My first new dress in four years, and such dress! It is the exact color of ripe peach
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and falls in lovely folds when I move... I look a lively, dashing, haute-coutured (if this isn't a

French verb, it should be) thirty" (Shaffer, Barows 17). She is out being feminine with her friend.

Shopping is a feminine behavior as well as wearing dresses. They are intended to be done only by

females. She is conforming to her prescribed gender norns by participating in feminine activities.

Plus wearing clothing that is only acceptable for.women to wear- tn addition, she is being very

expressive of how she feels about her new dress. Females are associated with being one with their

feelings and always wanting to express how they feel. In another lettT Juliet writes, "Finally, I
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mustered my courage and told Amelia that I wanted to adopt Kit" (Shaffer, Barrows 258). Being
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a mother is categorized as being feminine. Since females are expected to have children and tend / $

to their every need. It is considered to women. In Juliet's case, she has been
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growing fond of Kit to the point that she wants to role of her mother. To care for

Kit and love her unconditionally. Since Juliet wants to be Kit's mother she is conforming to her

prescribed gender roles. Therefore, Juliet conforms to her prescribed gender noilns because this is

how society wants her to act.

However, Juliet also breaks free from her prescribed gender nofins. Instead of being only

feminine she is also masculine. In the first couple pages of the book Juliet come off as a masculine
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character since she was aggressive towards someone else. She writes *I did not throw 'The Shepard

Boy Sings in the Valley of Humiliation' at the audience. I threw it at the elocution mistress. I t
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meant to cast it at her feet, but I missed" (Shaffer, Barrows 6). Being physically aggressive

others is how Juliet acted more masculine. Her aggression took over her. Males are associated with

having short tempers and being physically aggressive towards others when upset. In another letter,

Juliet writes "You're probably right, but even so, I'm going to Guernsey tomorrow and you can't

stop me" (Shaffer, Barrows 154). Juliet is standing up for herself. She is not going to allow Mark

to make decisions for her. She argues with him and states that going to Guernsey is what she wants.

This demonstrates masculinity because a distinguishable behavior is being self-centered and

thinking of yourself. Which is what Juliet is demonskating. Plus being outspoken about how she

feels. Therefore, Juliet breaks free from her prescribed gender norms because society placed in
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situations that needed her to be more masculine to get what she desires nrI *)
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Society implemented these gender nofins into our daily live. jqals
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*l-ffociety makes us believe that men are above women. Just how Mark conforms to his gender J
roles. He believes he is above Juliet. Therefore, believing that men are more dominant and women
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should just obey and be submissive. However, it is normal and natural to break free from gender

norns. This is because depending on the situation and people around us it is normal to break free

from gender nonns. Juliet conforms to her gender roles but depending on her surroundings that

changed. !n (oYrr'htr-A t WW , .

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Works Cited

Del Gandio, Jason. Rhetoric for Radicals. Canada. New Society Publishers.2008.

20,115. Print

Hubbard, Ruth. "Rethinking Women's Biology". Composing Gender. Eds. Rachael

Groner and John F. O'Hara. Boston, Bedfor#St. Martins, 2Al4,47.Prirrrt

{,t$ Wrf) .tl

Li Fuli, Leung Kwok, ZhouFan. "Sex Differences in Sociat Cynicism Across Societies
"fru The Role of Men's Higher Competitiveness and Male Dominance". Journal of
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B'ro'tp & Crass -Cultural P sychologt. Y ol 43, Issue 7, pp.l 1 54. October I 0,20 I 1.

ubto <, Lorber, Judith. "Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender". Composing

wil1n1 Gender. Eds. Rachael Groner and John F. O'Hara. Boston, Bedford/St. Martins,
1,,L-t 2014.28. Print
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Shaffer, Mary Ann. Bamows, Annie. The Guemsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie

Society. New York. N.Y.: Dial Press Trade Paperbacks,2009. Print.

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