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Guadalupe Jaimes
Professor Ditch
English 113B
31 March 2015
Defying Gender Expectations
Any society imposes some sort of expectation upon its members, but one where everyone
could all relate to is conforming to the prescribed gender role for males and females. Mary Ann
Shaffer and Annie Barrows, authors of the epistolary novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato
Peel Pie Society, include characters who dont abide to their prescribed gender roles; therefore,
showcasing their nonconformist ways. Elizabeth McKenna and Juliet Ashton are the female
characters in the novel that perform in a nonconformist way. Nonconformity is a big issue in
todays society, making peoples lives more difficult than it should be. Appearance and actions
are what identifies oneself in todays society. Elizabeth McKenna and Juliet Ashton are
nonconformists to their traditional gender roles during the German Occupation, causing them to
find their selves in situations where in todays society restricts people from expressing their real
identities in fear of being judged of performing unfeminine-like.
Society enforces standards to everyone which are required to be met. Traditional gender roles
are performed every day and are performed in a way in which it doesnt take much thought in
doing. The traditional gender roles for men is being dominant and for women is to be
subservient. In Jason Del Gandios book, Rhetoric for Radicals, he states, Man is constructed as
independent, superior, and foundational to humanity. Woman, by contrast, is constructed as
dependent, subordinate and secondary (115). Dominant and/or superior men means to be above

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all, above all women. Whereas women are described as inferior and dependent of men. These
traditionally prescribed roles are what defines and distinguishes each gender from each other.
Having to live up to these standards most of our lives can be very crucial for those who defy
them. Nonconformists face many challenges including harsh judgments and difficulties
expressing themselves.
In the Guernsey Literacy and Potato Peel Pie Society, characters, Juliet and Elizabeth are the
main characters that portrayed a very masculine persona. They are nonconformists to their
prescribed gender roles which inevitably makes them strong characters in the epistolary novel.
As previously mentioned, each member of their society have to live up these standards most of
our lives. This is because everyone is placed into these gender roles since the childhood days.
Since the beginning of the toddler years, one begins to determine the differences between male
and female and what makes them it. In The Development of Children and Adolescents, by
Hauser-Cram, Nugent, Theis, and Travers, they claim, By age 3, children have often formed
gender stereotypes. That is, they have constructed a mental model of the behaviors and activities
of each sex based on socially sanctioned attitudes about what is appropriate for individuals of
that sex (Hauser-Cram et. al). Studies have shown that as a child develops, their sense of self
has developed according with the societys view of gender. This claim proves that
nonconformity builds on its own since one is grown into the traditionally prescribed gender role.
Elizabeth and Juliet chose to perform in such a way that distinguished them from the other
characters mentioned. They werent afraid of any consequences which proves their
nonconformity.
Elizabeth and Juliet both performed a masculine role, however, they each played a different
part. For example, Elizabeth McKenna was the character who portrayed a very courageous

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masculine role. Shaffer and Borrows mentioned in their novel, Then Elizabeth drew in her
breath and stepped forward. Elizabeth isnt tall, so those pistols were lined up at her eyes, but
she didnt blink. She acted like she didnt see any pistols at all. She walked up to the officer in
charge and started talking (29). The previous quote explains the bravery that Dawsey Adams, a
male character in the novel, described Elizabeths actions as. This quote is a good example that
shows Elizabeth playing a masculine role because she was the only woman in the group of men
that was brave enough to go up to the main German Patrol Officer and explain the reason why
they broke their curfew.
During the German Occupation, the German Officers were known to be cruel and unjust
people, so Elizabeths actions of taking charge of the tough situation they were in really
demonstrated her dominant and brave masculine role. Also as mentioned, Elizabeth along with
Dawsey Adams and John Booker, were out late at night. Elizabeth whereabouts late at nights
could be described as a masculine role. In Alisa Valdes-Rodriguezs article, My Hips My
Caderas, Valdes-Rodriguez states, Indeed, they will feel threatened, and will soon lose interest
in hips that want to andar por la calle come un hombre (carry themselves like a man) (75).
This quote explains that a woman should not be out at night like a man does. It also states how
men do not like the idea of women being like them. This of course, brings us back to the main
point of this essay which is that society will judge someone who does not perform the
prescribed gender role accordingly.
Moreover, Juliet Ashton is described as an independent person who does not the need help of
a man to take care of her. The independency grants Juliet to be a nonconformist to her
traditional gender role because it defies her being subservient to a man. For instance, in the
novel, Shaffer and Borrows state, I dont want to be married just to be married (8). The

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previous quote explains how Juliet was in no rush of getting married and be with a man so
that she could depend on him, which is what todays society believes women do. This quote
also defies the myth that women want to be named to have to depend on someone. Juliets
independence is what sets her apart from the prescribed gender norm of a women being the
subdominant figure. Typically, in todays society, women are expected to depend on a man for
almost anything. Juliets job title as a successful writer during the WWII era demonstrates her
nonconformity because even then, it was rare for a woman to have a career as a writer. Juliets
successful career enabled her to be independent, which in todays society, is still seen as a
masculine trait.
Moreover, Dawsey Adams is a male character in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel
Pie Society, who performed in a very feminine way throughout the novel. Dawsey Adams is a
pig farmer in the Island of Guernsey. His duties includes making ends meet with the little
resources they are given. He is a very creative person and a very caring person. His love for
everyone, especially for his grandchild Eli, is what brings out the feminine side of him. Elis
mother died which left Dawsey to pick up a motherly role for him. And so he did. He took care
of him, fed him, clothed him, etc. In Lucy Telliyans short essay, she states, . . . examples of
nontraditional careers for women in the sciences, engineering, and in construction, whereas for
men these careers are nursing, teaching, and staying at home (Telliyan 86). The quote above
listed careers in which men and women are rarely seen doing because society restricts them into
believing that women cant be involve in masculine, labor jobs and men in feminine, nurturing
jobs. It has become such a rarity to see men work these jobs because we let society control even
our careers, which is something that one may enjoy doing, because of the judgments.

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Furthermore, Dawseys motherly role, in todays society, would view Dawsey as weak
and feminine which being a man and called feminine seems like the worst thing. Professor of
gender studies, Aaron Devor, states what she believes masculinity is, Persons who display
success and high status in their social group, who exhibit a manly air of toughness, confidence,
and self-reliance and the aura of aggression, violence, and daring,. . . (qtd. E. Pleck 139). The
previous quote lists characteristics, describing what it is to be a man. Dawsey mainly portrayed
a feminine role in the book, being the caretaker of Eli. Todays society would be surprised to see
a male perform in a masculine way, some maybe even judge.
Some people may say, that Elizabeth McKennas gender performance has nothing to do
with being courageous because being brave is just a trait that anybody could have. People all
have their own way of reacting towards a situation and maybe it depends on a situation that
makes you react a certain way. However, Elizabeths actions demonstrated great bravery that, as
previously mentioned, the men with her could not and did not stand up to the plate and explain to
the tough German Patrol Officers, why they were out passed curfew. In Marina Nemats article,
The Secondhand Bookseller, she explains her masculine feature she contains, let me guess:
you couldnt understand a word, and now you want your money back, he said, narrowing his
eyes. No. I read it twice, and I loved it! I didnt understand a few words, but I used my fathers
dictionary (575). This quote states the similarities Elizabeth and Nemat have in common. For
example, Nemat stood up to this man who was putting her down and even managed to maintain
a positive tone. They both express masculine gender roles. Elizabeths courageousness and
intelligence of going up to the officer in charge is something that not anybody could do, not even
men. Since it is in the WWII era, serious consequences are in play. Elizabeth, acknowledging the
severity of the state they were in, toughened up to save her and her friends from serious

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punishments. This inevitably, showcases Elizabeths masculine role which validates her
nonconformity.
To conclude, society enforces many standards in which people are expected to follow.
People learn these expectations early on during childhood. They are taught and learn from their
peers which most likely are already performing according to societys prescribed gender roles of
them. Juliet, Elizabeth, and Dawsey are characters from The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie
Society, written by Annie Borrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. They are all nonconformists during
the WWII era, which is completely different times comparing to todays society. However, not
much attention is paid back then than it is today, to their nonconformity of their traditional
prescribed gender roles. Todays society is constantly telling its members that nonconformity
should be viewed with judgements and critiques, making it hard for people to be their true
selves.

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Works Cited
Borrows, A., Mary Ann Shaffer. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. New York:
Random House, Inc. 2009. Print.
Del Gandio, Jason. Rhetoric for Radicals. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers,
2008. Print.
Devor, Aaron. Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender. Composing
Gender. Boston, Mass: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 35-43. Print.
Hauser-Cram, P., Nugent, J., Thies, K., & Travers, F. (2014). The Development of Children and
Adolescents. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Nemat, Marina. The Secondhand Bookseller. Prisoner of Tehran. 2007. Print.
Telliyan, Lucy. The New Mr. Mom. Wings. 2014. Print.
Valdez-Rodriguez, Alisa. My Hips, My Caderas. MSNs Underwire. 2000. Print.