The Insiders and the Outsiders in Short Fiction: Is the Behaviour of Women and Men Determined by Living in and Living Out?

Abstract

The study discusses traditional gender roles and the resulting behavior in the selected works of short fiction. These gender roles dictate that men must work outside to provide for their families while women are compelled to remain inside the house, taking care of children and doing household chores. These roles are accompanied by different stereotypical traits: Men are thought to have positive traits like rationality and bravery while women are said to possess negative traits like sentimentality and cowardice. As writers are also part of society, so we can expect to see the same gendered thinking in their creation. This research takes up five short stories and looks at the behavioral traits of male and female characters and the connection of these traits with the fact that males are outsiders and females are insiders.