The prescribing of gender, a scope on the societal ideologies showcased within Le Roman de Silence

Author

Derrian Fernandez, SUNY Cortland

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

English

First Advisor

Andrea Harbin

Second Advisor

Teagan Bradway

Abstract

Culture is constantly evolving, its ideologies cementing themselves within our minds, shaping how we as a society guide ourselves through living in such. Social class, religion, gender, all are forms of identity that have a place, and a certain understanding and standing within our culture and society. Through this understanding of ourselves, we are defined, creating multiple forms of distinct expression to help differentiate our place further. A pope is expected to wear a certain attire just as a bride is expected to. The same ideology trickles down, creating demarcations of attire that subsequently ingrain themselves into our culture and way of thinking. It’s not only just the bride and pope who have limitations on how they must express and present themselves, everyone has a role, and naturally, everyone has an understanding of, and pressure from this. There is church attire just as there is wedding attire, and just as there is for both church and wedding, for pope and bride, there is for every event, for every person, for everyday, everyday. Social roles and conventions are strictly defined, and seemingly inescapable. Not only how we present ourselves, but how we go about living with ourselves is also seemingly so, and extremely limited. Its roots far pass one’s expression through clothing, it advances on how we act and go about communicating with our friends, family, and society, on every fundamental level. This communication is culture, and the funny thing is that…it is constantly evolving and changing. Modern society and the ideals we have are different from the past, and thus our way of communication, our culture, must project accordingly. As we live in a society that’s structured to prescribe how we must act, one’s gender has become a crucial, distinctive, and encompassing factor that affects one's standing and place within society, thus requiring demarcations that define culture and instill how we should “properly” express and understand gender.

Recommended Citation

Fernandez, Derrian, "The prescribing of gender, a scope on the societal ideologies showcased within Le Roman de Silence" (2025). Master's Theses. 192.
https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/theses/192