A Feminist Reading of a Woman on a Roof - 1012 woman because she sunbathes on her roof. The men feel that she is a distraction and are visibly bothered by her presence. They are not happy that this bather is exposed and illustrate their feelings of displeasure by constantly whistling and shouting at her. The men also make several crude and sexist comments to her throughout the story. In a time like the one this story takes place in, men were considered far superior to women, and comments such as those made by men would not be considered out of the ordinary. What is extremely surprising, however, and quite unusual, is that this woman does not even seem bothered by their actions. When this is taken into consideration, it appears that the true source of the men's anger towards the woman is not simply because she was sunbathing, but rather because she was being needy towards them at a time when women were expected to submit to the demands of men. The men in this story obviously have strong feelings of superiority and power over the opposite sex and expect women to naturally give in to their demands. These feelings are illustrated in the first paragraph, when they see the woman for the first time. As they worked, “they made jokes about getting an egg from a woman in the apartment below them, to poach for dinner” (Lessing 856). Such a comment demonstrates men's beliefs regarding gender roles: that women will be at home, not working, and will be eager to serve men. The comments continue; later, referring to woman as... middle of paper ... woman And, although she may not have conferred women the right to vote or secured admission for women into institutes of higher education, she was able to fend for herself in a normal daily situation, and that's a start. She is a woman who was one of the exceptions of her time; she was not just a woman on a roof, but rather a heroine of her generation. Works Cited Allen, Orphia Jane. “Doris Lessing.” Short story review, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Atack, Margaret. “Doris Lessing.” Short story review, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Lessing, Doris. “A woman on a roof.” The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvain Barnett. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 856-862. Works consulted Baron, Mary. “Doris Lessing.” Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Vol. 4. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1993.

Essay / A Feminist Reading of a Woman on a Roof - 1012 woman because she sunbathes on her roof. The men feel that she is a distraction and are visibly bothered by her presence. They are not happy that this bather is exposed and illustrate their feelings of displeasure by constantly whistling and shouting at her. The men also make several crude and sexist comments to her throughout the story. In a time like the one this story takes place in, men were considered far superior to women, and comments such as those made by men would not be considered out of the ordinary. What is extremely surprising, however, and quite unusual, is that this woman does not even seem bothered by their actions. When this is taken into consideration, it appears that the true source of the men's anger towards the woman is not simply because she was sunbathing, but rather because she was being needy towards them at a time when women were expected to submit to the demands of men. The men in this story obviously have strong feelings of superiority and power over the opposite sex and expect women to naturally give in to their demands. These feelings are illustrated in the first paragraph, when they see the woman for the first time. As they worked, “they made jokes about getting an egg from a woman in the apartment below them, to poach for dinner” (Lessing 856). Such a comment demonstrates men's beliefs regarding gender roles: that women will be at home, not working, and will be eager to serve men. The comments continue; later, referring to woman as... middle of paper ... woman And, although she may not have conferred women the right to vote or secured admission for women into institutes of higher education, she was able to fend for herself in a normal daily situation, and that's a start. She is a woman who was one of the exceptions of her time; she was not just a woman on a roof, but rather a heroine of her generation. Works Cited Allen, Orphia Jane. “Doris Lessing.” Short story review, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Atack, Margaret. “Doris Lessing.” Short story review, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Lessing, Doris. “A woman on a roof.” The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvain Barnett. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 856-862. Works consulted Baron, Mary. “Doris Lessing.” Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Vol. 4. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1993.

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