Gender Stereotype Definition of Term

women and men in every aspect of life by means of education . Didikyudono focuses on how women gain equality from the education that they have . Della Putri 2011, in her thesis The Ideas of Feminism in the Victorian Era Revealed in the Characteristics of Women Characters also shares the similar idea by stating that the idea of feminism is equality and opportunity as the women characters are given the opportunity to be equal with men . On this, Jabbra 2008 in her journal entitled Theories of Gender Hierarchy for an Introductory Women’s Studies Class states that gender hierarchy plays an important role in discussing women’s role in the society. Gender hierarchy focuses on how cultures in a society influenced the view of a gender . In some societies men may dominate over women . In others, women may dominate over men . The knowledge of how a specific gender is placed in the society not only makes it easier for people to see if there is any gender inequality, but also helps people to understand the cultural background of a society better . While it is true that Eva fulfils her duties as a housewife and a mother, she still finds herself alienated from her husband and her children, with whom she has nothing in common . She does not fit in despite the fact that she tries to play along with what the society expects her to be . The main concern in the story is with resentment between generations and unfulfilled expectations . The story probably relate more directly to Tillie Olsen’s own life http:www .nytimes.comarticle1962119tell-me-a-riddle-pit-is. The thesis and journal stated above helps the researcher understand the values in the Victorian era adopted by the Americans and the story better. However, the researcher wants to be more specific with the feminism and the Victorian background in this undergraduate thesis. So, instead of focusing on the literary work during the Victorian era, the researcher is doing the research on how women have to deal with stereotypes in the work written in the 1960s. It is done to see if the standards of an ideal woman made during the Victorian era actually affect the future condition, especially in the 1960s.

B. Review of Related Theories

These are some theories to find the answers of the problem formulations

1. Theory of Characterization

According to Forster, there are two types of characters; those are “round” and “flat”. Round characters are usually can be found in the main characters. They usually change into someone better, or worse. Meanwhile, the flat character usually can be found in minor character, but not all of the minors are flat characters. “To the degree that round characters possess many individual and unpredictable human traits they may be considered as dynamic; that is, they demonstrate their capacity to change or grow” 1987: 121. Murphy in Understanding Unseen 1972: 160-173 stated that there are nine ways to understand and explore about a character. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past lives, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thought, and mannerism.