The stereotypical role of women has become a very obvious and specific thing throughout time. Women are expected to be the care takers, cleaners, bakers, and essentially, the "perfect mothers". In the story "A Pair of Silk Stockings" Chopin shows the effect of this stereotype by sharing the main character, Mrs. Sommers' thoughts. Around the third paragraph, Mrs. Sommers is deep in thought about the smartest way to spend her money, and like any good mother she plans to spend it on her kids. Another way this stereotype is shown in the short story is when Mrs. Sommers finally starts buying something for herself. Since mothers are expected to be providers for their kids, it was pretty unusual to see a women being independent and shopping for only…show more content… Sommers is used to, and it clearly isn't doing things for herself. When she was finally given the money and the freedom of a day to herself, she got to break away from being a mother, and she got to be just a woman for a day. The stereotype given to women is actually quite restricting. This story is just one example of a role given to women but there are many others. In our country's history and even currently, women have been expected and assumed to be a stay at home mom and take care of children and the house itself and let the man do all of the hard, money making work. But in today's time we now see that women are capable of much more. Some of the most intellectual, successful, and independent workers and leaders today are in fact women. The stereotypes and standards created years and years ago for women are very limiting and very demeaning to any woman who is trying to make something of herself. Gender roles and stereotypes destroy societies and create an idea for everyone that they are only "allowed" to be certain things, when really, the possibilities are endless for anyone who wants something bad enough and is willing to put the work
