Gender Roles In Winter's Bone By Daniel Woodrell

In the book Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell, the author uses the main character Ree to explore and redefine the definition of gender roles within the Ozark rural community.

Ree’s life in the Ozarks is similar to the life Daniel Woodrell lives. Woodrell grew up in the St. Louis suburbs until the age of fifteen when his father moved the family to Kansas City. He hated Kansas City so much that at the age of seventeen, he dropped out of high school and join the Marines. Woodrell hated the structure and authority of the military that in eighteen months he was discharged because of his drug use. He then went to a well-known writing college. Woodrell currently in the Ozark Mountains, a town like the one he wrote about in Winter’s Bone. His town

The women are taught from birth what their roles are within the family, and continue to learn these roles by watching the other women. The women are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the home while preparing every meal, and washing the clothing. The women in the Ozarks are emotional, and sensitive to other’s feelings. This assists them in the primary caretaking of the children, raising and educating them. Women are not to question the men in the decisions and must always ask permission before they can do anything. The women’s actions are ruled by the men and the men are the authority over the women. Woodrell is able to describe fairly the gender roles in the Ozarks because he grew up with strong gender roles with his mother, and grandmother who are from the Ozarks, and he currently lives there with his wife. Meanwhile, the men illustrates to be the authority figures. They are out earning living, working hard and have more freedom then the women. Society has been socialized to see men as strong, brave and head of household while also they are the decision makers. The man of the house expresses more anger than the women. When the men show emotion it is communicated by dominance either physical or emotional. The men are the power and the authority in the family and no one is to question them. Woodrell relates first hand to this male dominance by his

Since Ree’s mother is mentally unstable, Ree stands up and acts as the mother figure of the household. She follows in the women’s roles by being responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the home. She has to not only look after her mother and her self but also her two brothers. Raising and educating them on everything she knows. She taught the boys how to cook, shoot a gun, clean their animals for eating and how to fight. “Another thing you two’ll want to know is how to fight. I can show you what dad showed me. Knock the spider webs off those gloves and ill lace you both you” (Woodrell