In the novel Snow White by Donald Barthelme, the main character Snow White contradicts the stereotypical traits of a 1960s housewife. These traits, given to her the author, differ from those of a typical 1960s housewife in appearance, behavior, and priorities. The purpose of Barthelme's presentation of Snow White in this way is to expose the limitations of gender roles in 1960s society. In Barthelme's novel Snow White, the protagonist, Snow White, is a 22-year-old woman living with seven men. These men do not perceive her as an emotional person, but rather as a sexual object to be used whenever they want and a housewife who meets their every need. Snow White has unsatisfactory sex in the shower with these seven men and attends to their other physical needs as well. She also has to clean the house from top to bottom. “Snow White was cleaning. Book lice don't bite people, she told herself. She sprayed the books with a five percent solution of DDT. Then she dusted them with the vacuum cleaner's dusting brush. She didn't group the books together because it damages the bindings. Then she mended a few torn pages with the strips cut from rice paper” (Barthelme 43). Snow White is well educated in women's studies, as well as the basics of becoming a housewife. However, her desire for something better makes her look and behave like anything else. The first difference between Snow White and the stereotypical 1960s housewife is in her appearance. The appearance of a 1960s housewife was a big deal. She was expected to dress in a particular way that "consisted of touched-up makeup and a ribbon in her hair to look fresh" (The Good Wife's Guide, 1). Barthelme demonstrates this throughout the paper......complaining and complaining about his situation instead of exuding a pleasant and pleasant attitude. She was stubborn and stood up for herself instead of being submissive and blindly following her men. By noting these contradictions with the expectations of the 1960s housewife, Barthelme successfully exposed the limitations of gender roles throughout the novel. Snow White is used as a demonstration of gender roles in post-modernist work. Works Cited Barthelme, Donald. Snow White. New York: Atheneum, 1967. “The Good Wife’s Guide” in print. Good interview May 13, 1955: n. page. Print.Friedan, Betty. The feminine mystique. New York: Norton, 1983. Print.---. It Changed My Life: Writings on the Women's Movement. New York: Random House, 1976. Print.---. The second step. New York: Summit, 1981. Print.