"Boys will be boys" is a cliche often used when males exemplify the traits of wild, abandoned exploration, or use poor judgment in situations due to a desire to fulfill self. These traits, however, are seen as great downfalls and serious cause for concern should females display the same characteristics. Willa Cather beautifully portrays characters that defy stereotypical gender roles in her novel, My Antonia. Not only do the main characters, Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerdas, not conform to traditional gender roles, but neither do many of the lesser characters presented in the novel. The relevance of these non-stereotypical gender rolls becomes apparent in the unfolding of characters through Jim Burden’s narration. This novel fully explores the changes in young women, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, towards traditional roles. Women of this time period desire to make their own choices in life, rather than submit to society’s dictated rules.

Antonia Shimerdas is a curious mixture of both male and female gender traits. She is an anxious young girl, seeking knowledge of any kind, when she comes to live in America. She is “always ready to forg

Francis Harling also displays male traits in business while working for her father. Her father’s admiration of her is shown by the frequent discussion of transactions with her for her point of view. We do not know if Francis keeps command of these traits. She desires the wife and mother role as Antonia has chosen, and no further information is given.

Without women such as Antonia, Tiny and Lena, women might very well still be bound strictly to the home and family. These types of women have helped open the doorway for great advances in the societal expectations of women. Likewise, without men such as Jim Burden, men’s roles in society might also be only work attitudes. The exchange of traditional gender roles has greatly influenced society, allowing more universal expectations in roles of people without regard to gender. This new equality is allowing mankind as a whole to progress in leaps and bounds, which shall, hopefully, one day have global support for a future free from discrimination, accusation, and shame.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1045
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)