Gender Roles in "The Age of Innocence" and "The Portrait of a Lady"

Abstract

This paper aims to present the role of men and women in the 19th century so as to see the difference between both genders. So as to illustrate those differences, the main characters of two novels will be analyzed in depth: The Portrait of a Lady, written by Henry James, and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. These two masterpieces reflect perfectly the women’s struggle with society to achieve freedom and independence, which is the main theme this essay deals with. This paper is divided into three main parts: first of all, I will introduce some key points concerning the status of women during the 1800s (how they were educated, their role as a wife and mother…etc.) In the next section, the friendship of both writers as well as some important facts of their lives will be explained in order to understand better the similarities of their writing style. The final focus comprises the analysis of the main characters of both novels so as to exemplify the role and behavior of both men and women during this period.