Gender roles

Paton creates gender roles in the novel by describing the South Africa's land and it's culture. "Stand shod upon it, for the ground is holy, being even as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men." Paton uses the word 'men' a lot in the quote, so he could show the reader that men are more important than women. Paton didn't mentions women a lot except the part when they are working in the valleys, "[d]own in the valleys women scratch the soil that is left......The men are away, the young men and the girls are away."(34) Women consider by Paton and South African society, are hardworking housewives. Women's jobs are to care for their family and to farm. Women are not consider important as men since men are strong and the leader of the family.The effect of the differences between the gender roles are that when the soil can't support the people anymore, people have to move to city. Women will have to stay back to do their chores and take care of the children; and the men have to go to city to make money.