1. Women and Their Roles
Questions to Consider

2. Essential Questions In what ways is gender a social construct?
Is there a true, authentic self? If so, how does one “get it”? Act?
What factors limit and determine our fate?
Is it possible to subvert a social “fate”? How?
Does that get you closer to your authentic self? Why or why not?

3. Key Terms
Gender vs. sex, authentic, construction, identity, personal determination, social values and norms, female propriety, sex vs love vs commodity / currency, performance, tragedy, pathos, subversion / subvert

4. Good Husband/Good Wife
Of these expectations, which are true (in your life)?
If that’s the case, then what must you overcome in order to have an “authentic” relationship?

5. Vindication questions
What does Wollstonecraft say are typical behaviors of women? Give evidence to support your response.
What are two ways women can change those behaviors? Give evidence.
What type of education do women receive? What are two negative aspects of their education? Give evidence.
What should women strive for? Give evidence.
How do women prevent themselves from succeeding? Give evidence.

6. The Awakening & Streetcar
Answer these questions for Edna, Stella and Blanche
In what ways is gender a social construct? How does each society believe a woman should act? A man?
Find textual evidence to support your assertion.
What is each character’s true, authentic self? Did she get it? How so, or why not?
What factors limited and determined their fate?
Did Edna, Stella, or Blanche subvert, or attempt to subvert, their social “fate”? To what degree was each successful? Did these subversions get them closer to her “authentic” self?

7. Streetcar Answer these questions for Blanche AND Stella
In what ways is gender a social construct? How does their society believe a woman should act? A man?
Find textual evidence to support your assertion.
What is Stella’s true, authentic self? What is Blanche’s? Did either woman “get it”? How so, or why not?
What factors limited and determined the fate of each woman?
How did Blanche subvert, or attempt to subvert, her social “fate”? Stella? To what degree was each woman successful? Did these subversions get either closer to her “authentic” self?

8. Todo Sobre
Answer these questions for at least ONE of the many women in the movie…
In what ways is gender a social construct? How does this society believe a woman should act? A man?
Find evidence to support your assertion.
According to Almodovar, what is a woman’s true, authentic self? How does one get it?
What factors limit and determine our fate (or future, for those of you with “fate” issues)?
How did a character subvert, or attempt to subvert, her social “fate”? To what degree was she successful? Did these subversions get her closer to her “authentic” self?