Every society assigns the different genders roles about dressing; speaking, mannerisms, roles as well as responsibilities to which they are expected to adhere. Contravening assigned gender roles leads to being termed an outcast or proscribes people from fitting into the social construction of the society. The following text seeks to examine gender roles and expectations and their variations among different cultures through the lens of the Epic of Gilgamesh and a poem form the World War II text. The Epic of Gilgamesh and the poem Disabled challenge the traditional stereotypes about gender roles by redefining what men and women can do. Whereas women are traditionally viewed as weak, irresolute and without resolve, some women in the text come out as strong, mature and properly grounded. On the other hand, men in real life are thought to be powerful, level headed and resolute in their dealings but men in the text end up represented as vulnerable, needy and easily manipulated.
Gender plays a pivotal role in the Epic of Gigamesh. For instance, women are not considered as the wisest or the most robust gods compared to the men. Contrary to the constraints of nature, women are considered more influential than men. Even though the main characters in the play who are Enkidu and Gilgamesh are male, women did not necessarily play a minor role (Anonymous, 2014). With the many roles and characters assigned to women in the epic, gender roles definitely remains an issue of primary concern. Women are viewed as counselors and guides to lost men. Men obviously occupy the position of power in the epic whereby a male by the name Anu is depicted as the most powerful god (Anonymous, 2014). Moreover, Gilgamesh is not only represented as the supreme leader of Uruk but is also depicted as a two-thirds divine and this grants him unpatrolled power compared to his adversaries and the other gods in general. This is at least the case in the human world.
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Gender plays a significant role with regards to the role of Ninsun as a wise woman who occupies a motherly position. Humbaba is referred to as the mighty gale winds. The thirteen winds and the face of Humbaba are supposed to darken in prayer to O Shamash (Anonymous, 2014). The position of mothers can only be occupied by women and their power yields from the fact that they are women. Ninsun is represented as the only woman who takes the role of a wise woman providing guidance for the rest of the community in which she lives. Gilgamesh passes through the Twin Mountains called Mashu and encounters Shiduri who is the keeper of the tavern (Anonymous, 2014). Gilgamesh is lost in the course of his travels and is therefore obliged to ask for direction from her to reach the region of Uta-Utnapishtim.
A woman is seen as the source of divine intervention and a source of direction when the man is lost and is at his weakest point. Gilgamesh defies the traditional roles of men in society which is that of leading and not being led. He goes against the confines of society and seeks direction from a woman (Anonymous, 2014). Ninsun offers direction to Gilgamesh when he is in dire need of a sense of direction. The fact that women stood the chance to be abused shows the dire situation in which they are and also reveals the level of dominance men have over them (Anonymous, 2014). Ninsun not only directs him to his destination but also explains to the man the dangers that lie ahead of him. This speaks of the power the woman has. Although he had the chance to remain silent and keep information from him because of the way he oppressed women, she chooses the high road of morality and offers him valuable information.
A woman plays the gender role of men by inspiring a sense of direction to a man that was considered the strongest in the book. Mashu, therefore, acts as the greater character by keeping her emotions out of the way and maintaining objectivity for the purpose of reason. Besides the provision of guidance, women also hold powerful roles in the epic which are symbolic of the kind of power women can be empowered to have today (Anonymous, 2014). A fine example of a powerful woman is Shamhat who rises through the powers of curiosity and sex and uses these to lure Enkidu out of his wild environment. A week of intense sex with him ensures that he can no longer return to the wildlife he used to live and has to learn the new ways of the common people. His new life is the only life he has learned from Shamhat. This part of the text focuses on emotions, physical being, and vulnerability (Anonymous, 2014). Thus this point of the epic reveals that Shamhat had the upper hand over the other male counterpart. Traditionally, men are not supposed to be controlled by women. Therefore, Enkidu challenges the traditional stereotypes of masculinity by subjecting his life to the direction of a woman.
The poem Disabled by Wilfred Owen paints the image of a war veteran who comes to terms with the sorry state of being disabled and not being able to do the things he used to do as a soldier in WWI. His new situation has left him helpless and his masculinity feels challenged by the fact that now he can only sit and watch things as they unfold before his eyes and cannot do anything about them (Owen, 2019). At the very onset of the poem, the persona speaks of a man who sits in his wheelchair and waits for the dark. Moreover, the poem goes on to describe the man as shivering in his grey hair. The man is limited in the things he can do and he no longer makes merry or goes out to party like other men his age. The poem illustrates a man in his darkest hour in a state of helplessness and dire solitude.
Men are typically known to be strong and unparalleled when it comes to the issue of their power and position of influence. However, this poem illustrates a contrary narrative about them and points them as being in a position of powerlessness. The second stanza of the poem compares him now to the way he used to be before the disability. He would be happy and playful and would be swinging around. He remembers that he used to have the power to lure the girls to himself by his charm. However, due to his disability, no girl wants to be around him anymore. The persona says he will never again feel how slim the waists of girls are. This is because he will never get the chance to be as close to girls to get to touch and feel their waists. The poem documents the notion that men are more attractive when younger and become isolated when they grow older. Moreover, the poem places the beauty of masculinity at the societal perception of his ability to lure and control women. The more a man has what a woman needs the more a woman is drawn to want to be with the man.
Overall, as illustrated in the above text, two literary works illustrate the traditional stereotypes about gender roles by redefining what men and women can do. Whereas women in real life are traditionally viewed as weak, irresolute and without resolve women in the text come out as strong, mature and properly grounded. On the other hand, men in real life are thought to be powerful, level headed and resolute in their dealings but those in the text end up represented as vulnerable, needy and easily manipulated. However, certain individuals choose to actively disregard roles specifically assigned to them by virtue of their gender and instead choose to pursue courses that would otherwise be termed unconventional. Social constructions and definitions of gender roles vary among cultures and impact people differently with every society and culture having a set of unique gender expectations.
References
Anonymous. (2014). The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Owen, W. (2019). Disabled.
