In Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence, there is an undercurrent that calls into question society’s expectations for men and women. Countess Olenska is at the center of many conflicts in the book. Her limited opportunities as a woman during the early part of the 20th century, provide the backdrop of the novel. She cannot divorce because it is looked down upon by society. Also, she is faced with a scandal for an extra martial affair and even though her husband had many, she faces more shame because she is a woman. And even though Newland Archer exclaims in the novel, “women should be free— as free as we are,” it is clear from the story that they are not. The roles of men and women in the novel are clearly defined— women should be pure and “innocent” as the title suggests, while men are bound by their duty. Gender roles endure even today. However, even today, they can be extremely harmful because they can negatively affect a person’s mental and physical health. Gender roles are ingrained in children at a young age and the harmful effects can be seen early on. In a recent study, Maria do Mar Pereira, author of Doing Gender in the Playground, found that girls harmed their health with excessive dieting to conform to society’s expectations that girls be pretty and thin. Meanwhile, boys committed acts of violence to try and seem manlier (Culp-Ressler). The study also revealed that the “constant effort to manage one’s everyday life in line with gender norms produces significant anxiety, insecurity, stress and low self-esteem for both boys and girls, and both for ‘popular’ young people and those who have lower status in school.” (Culp-Ressler). The increased stress and anxiety, coupled with the physical damage they can cause to adolescents health, show that gender roles are detrimental. The health risks that gender roles can cause go even deeper than dieting for women. In fact, in developing countries where gender roles are more rigid, suicide rates among women are much higher than that of men (Levinson-King). In a recent interview on Ventures Africa, Dr Suzanne Petroni, the senior director for gender, population and development at the International Centre for Research on Women, says, “that lack of opportunity and rigid gender roles” are possible factors that could be influencing such high rate of young female suicides in developing countries” (Jadetade). For women in these situations, gender roles have a tragic result and their potential for damaging effects are clearly illustrated. Gender roles have existed throughout time; however, their negative impact has been well documented. They can be dangerous for people both physically and mentally.
Works Cited Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Forcing Kids To Stick To Gender Roles Can Actually Be Harmful To Their Health." ThinkProgress. ThinkProgress, 07 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 May 2017.
Jadetade, Olumide. "The Recent Surge in Teen Suicide in the World Enforces the Need for Greater Mental Health Awareness in Africa." Ventures Africa. Ventures, 14 Mar. 2017. Web. 10 May 2017.
Levinson-King, Robin. "Teen Suicide on the Rise among Canadian Girls." BBC News. BBC, 13 Mar. 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.