Topic > Gender Roles in a Pink Stocking by Anton Chekhov

The story, "A Pink Stocking", is written by a Russian playwright named Anton Chekhov. Chekhov created short stories from his youth. As a boy his parents struggled financially, forcing him to find an alternative way to generate income. Chekhov used his creative stories, "producing hundreds of short comic pieces", to sell and make money for his family. This created a clear image of gender roles among her relatives. Just like "A Pink Stocking", the men in the family found jobs and were more dominant than the others. In the story, we are introduced to a couple who are in trouble. The man of the house, "Pavel Petrovitch Somov", continually criticizes his wife, "Lidotchka Somov", for her writing skills and techniques. He is ruthless, insensitive and terribly unpleasant. As depicted in the text, Somov and Lidotchka are imbalances, where gender inequality becomes very evident. In the era in which this story originated, women had a lower priority and in the 19th century they often "petitioned universities to educate women." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Additionally, there is also the presence of control that men have over women. It is the power that males possess to treat others as they see fit. Somov does not take his wife's feelings into account, but instead asks her to prepare dinner. The story portrays a strong aspect of stereotypes about women. This is made clear after Somov states, “her calling is to love her husband, have children, and make salad.” In the years this story was written, girls had no power and were considered weak by society. No intention of education and no employment. In addition to the man's control, it is obvious that they are highly dominant over their wife. The authority these men think they have often causes emotional abuse, domestic violence, and the freedom to speak as they please. Manipulation becomes a hobby when it should be perceived as a social crime. Somov has a hold on Lidotchka for the entire duration of the story, mentally and emotionally. The thought of male dominance is associated with darkness and cooler colors. Furthermore, it is seen through dark blue, dark gray and black. His control is intimidating and scary. Chekhov begins his story by describing the time and setting. Use common words like “heavy clouds,” “boring,” and “rainy.” All of this portrays a cold and isolated environment. The main protagonist, Somov, lacks color and liveliness. Halfway through the text, Somov completely destroys all of Lidotchka's confidence and worth. So he controls how she feels by insulting and attacking her writing methods. He describes her letter as "terrible" and continues to look "in the face with horror". The use of a rhetorical question is present as Somov asks his wife, "You have a good brain, but what's the use if you have never mastered the rudiments of knowledge?" Once again, we observe insults being hurled at her in a vulnerable state. His fear of her grows and his self-esteem deteriorates. This further exemplifies the fact that he has a profound influence on Lidotchka. The image given to women in the 19th century revolved around being incompetent, weak, emotional and lacking the ability to understand power; a common stereotype that still persists in today's generation. In Chekhov's text the norm of a married couple of the late 1800s is illustrated. A powerful and well-educated man of the house, who commands his wife. The woman is expected to be nice, calm and respect any commands. It is for this reason that the simple dress of".