Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Jose Duran
Professor Ditch
English 115
6 November 2017
Letters of Gender
For my analysis of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I decided to
choose Juliet Ashton and Markham Reynolds as the main characters I will be analyzing. Juliet
Ashton is both radical and conforms to her prescribed gender role throughout the book. This is
recognized by the letters she sends to people and by the way people talk about her. She can be a
caring individual who nurtures those in need or she can be a bold woman who throws pots of tea
at people who make her mad. Markham Reynolds conforms to his gender by being overly
masculine and manly. Mr. Reynolds bosses people around with ease and likes to take control of
situations and people. He is viewed as the epitome of a masculine stereotype which is evidenced
by several letters about him and sent by him. Juliet Ashton both conforms and is radical to her
prescribed gender role because she performs masculine and feminine behavior throughout the
Juliet Ashton is the protagonist of the literary novel and she is a writer unlike any other in
a time when women were only valued in the homes and gardens. The controversy that surrounds
her as a writer has brought her to fame as she tours across Europe while The Great War rages to
an end. Looking for inspiration for a new book, Ms. Ashton comes across a literary society that
has been under Nazi rule for years and becomes very interested in the people who were apart of
it. She gets to know these characters on a personal level and throughout the book we discover
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how they live their lives. Juliet Ashton soon develops romantic relations with a Markham
Markham Reynolds is an American Publisher looking for new British writers to swoop
on and hire to his publishing firm. He is introduced to the protagonist in a mysterious way in
order to catch the attention of Ms. Juliet Ashton. He sends her bouquet after bouquet of flowers
and she cant understand why he is doing such a thing. Once Ms. Ashton confronts one of his
delivery boys, she is finally able to contact him to find out the meaning of all this. He admits that
his intentions were pure and that he just wanted to intrigue her enough to go on a date with him.
He soon begins to sweep Juliet off her feet with his endless charm and fine dates. Mr. Reynolds
is a respectable man that everyone obeys and listens to. Most characters either find him as a
threat or as genuinely good man. In Aaron Devor Becoming Members of Society he explains
that Masculinity thus becomes innately valuable and feminine serves a contrapuntal function
to delineate and magnify the hierarchical dominance of masculinity. Devor is trying to state that
being masculine in this society is valued much higher than being feminine. Juliet Ashton
realizes that their personalities and behavior are too incompatible to continue on dating so she
Ms. Ashton and Mr. Reynolds can be connected to Composing Gender by the way they
behave throughout the book. Markham Reynolds is the ideal masculine stereotype for every
reason. The way he behaves, looks and speaks are all subject to how he presents his masculinity.
In Aaron Devors article, Becoming Members of Society, he states that ... such an alternative
conception of gender roles captures the hierarchical and competitive masculine thirst for power
which can, but need not, lead to aggression This quote is stating that the creation of gender
roles is to place men on top in the pyramid for power and allow masculinity to triumph over
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femininity. Juliet Ashton is ridiculed for being a woman writer but only because people see her
as a threat to society. In Ruth Hubbards, Rethinking Womens Biology, she explains that
they parallel differences in power. This means that differences between male and female only
Furthermore, I can connect the novel to Rhetoric for Radicals because the the two
characters in my analysis either are radical or conform or both to their gender roles. Juliet Ashton
both conforms and is radical to her gender role because she performs masculine and feminine
behavior throughout the story. Markham Reynolds strictly conforms to his gender role. He is a
man's man who does everything in a masculine way. Both of these characters either defy or give
in to social norms in their own different way. In Rhetoric for Radicals by Jason Del Gandio, he
states that ... social norms often set limits for acceptable behavior, action and thought and most
people fail to realize that these norms are socially constructed rather than inherently given. This
quote is saying that these social norms that set boundaries on gender are actually socially
Juliet Ashton is radical to her gender role because she is not afraid to speak her mind to
any individual no matter who it is. Reverend Simon Simpless revealed that, If Juliet says she
will, she will. If she says she won't, she wont (47) in a letter to Amelia Maugery proving that
her word is bond. Juliet is also radical to gender because she has accomplished things that
women were not expected to do let alone triumph at. She is a successful writer, a leader and a
savior to a people who have almost lost all hope. Even those who despise her still acknowledge
that she is a straightforward woman. Bella Taunton states that, She does indeed have one fine
quality - she is honest. (44) in a letter to Ms. Maugery which signifies that even her biggest
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naysayers still know what kind of a woman she is. A woman being honest and speaking her mind
states that ...masculinity is usually characterized by dominance and aggression, and femininity
by passivity and submission. This direct quote shows how Juliet Ashton is directly being radical
to her prescribed gender role because she refuses to submit and is allowing her voice to dominate
others.
While Juliet performs radically to her gender, she also conforms to her gender in certain
situations. Throughout the story, Juliet cares and nurtures for others which this type of behavior
can be perceived as feminine. One of these accounts was recorded in a letter by Bella Taunton
stating that, I discovered she then volunteered her services to the Auxiliary Fire Services. On
the morning after a bombing raid, the AFS would be on hand to offer tea and comfort to the
rescue squads. in a letter to Amelia Maugery. This goes to show that even though Juliet can
show masculine characteristics, she still has a feminine side to her as well. In Ms. Ashtons
relationship with Markham Reynolds, she also plays a very feminine role. She is often
submitting to him and she allows him to take control of situations. She falls for his good looks,
charming smile and dashing personality. When Juliet is around Reynolds, she transforms from an
independent writer who doesnt take anything from anyone to a lovestruck girl who fantasises
about romantic ordeals. In Margaret R. Pooles, Relationship Between Gender Roles, Parental
Attachment, and Life Satisfaction in Young Adults, she states that, The traditional roles were
quote is stating gender roles are usually supposed to be opposite from each other so they are
easier to distinguish for other people. Gender roles are polar opposite in power and social
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structure. Ashtons relationship Reynolds is polar opposites at times when she is being feminine
Markham Reynolds solely conforms to his gender by behaving in ideal masculine ways.
Reynold typically commands others around him with ease and uses his power as a man in his
favor anywhere he goes. In a quote from Juliet to Sophie, she says that, ... hes used to ordering
people about- though he does it so easily, they dont even notice. This quote exposes a side of
Reynolds that isnt as charming as others would believe. He also deceives others into believing
that his answer is the right one. Juliet also says in the same letter that, Hes got that way of
believing his opinion is the truth, but hes not disagreeable about it. Hes too sure hes right to
bother being disagreeable. In one instance, he leaves the decision up to Juliet in deciding when
they should go out for a date and it appears that he is giving her the power of choice but in the
next few letters, he takes back that offer with his own answer. Juliet doesnt even realize that her
freedom of choice has been taken away. In Examining the Relationship Between Internalized
Misogyny Self Objectification and Self-Efficacy Among Cisgender and Transgender Women.
an article by Holly A. Gartler, she concedes Misogyny is perpetuated, not only by men who
desire to maintain their power, but also by women who reinforce the male-dominated culture
through acts of horizontal oppression and omission resulting from internalized misogyny.
This goes to show that men and women both play a part in society to continually oppress women
In The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I analyzed the gender
performances of Juliet Ashton and Markham Reynolds. By using several articles and sources, I
was able to come to a conclusion on the characters gender performance. Juliet Ashton both
conforms and is radical to her prescribed gender role by behaving in both a masculine and
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feminine way. Markham Reynolds only conforms to his prescribed gender role because of the
Gandio, Jason Del. Rhetoric for Radicals: a Handbook for 21st Century Activists. New
http://libproxy.csun.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1690276921?accountid=
7285
Poole, M. R. (2015). Relationship between gender roles, parental attachment, and life
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection.
http://libproxy.csun.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1708991335?accountid=
7285
Devor, Aaron, and John F. O'Hara. Becoming Members of Society. Composing Gender: a
Hubbard, Ruth. Rethinking Womens Biology. Composing Gender, John F. O'Hara, 30 Mar.
2014, joannajblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/rethinking-womens-biology/.