To what extent do the works of Shelley, Carter and Coleridge reinforce traditional masculine and feminine roles?

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To what extent do the works of Shelley, Carter and Coleridge reinforce traditional masculine and feminine roles?

Although the terms 'masculine' and 'feminine' are not easily defined, there are some key characteristics for both. Women in Gothic Literature that show feminine characteristics are usually; vulnerable, helpless, emotional, weak, defensive, easily led, victims of predators and are typically threatened by a powerful or impulsive male figure. Those that show masculine characteristics on the other hand, are typically; dominant, strong, assertive, powerful, sexual predators and are portrayed as heroes. Religion played a big part in ensuring that it was a male dominated society. The majority of people were Christians and God fearing. In the bible; males are always portrayed as the dominant sex and females regularly overlooked. Because of this, many people thought that they also had to live in a male dominated society in order to be seen as good Christians. Coleridge and Carter also conform to this stereotype in some of their writing in order to please society rather than going against it. Earlier Gothic texts; Coleridge's Ancient Mariner, for example reinforces these stereotypes, by making the story male dominated and by including few female characters. Angela Carter's 'Bloody Chamber'