Forbidden: Defying Gender Norms

                Gender roles have most definitely evolved throughout the years. Looking at where we are now, is completely different to how women and men functioned in society in the 19^th century. Typically, women in this time period were most likely the homemakers. Their goal was to raise children, cook, clean, and take care of the husband when he gets home from work. Thus, the men were expected to be the breadwinner of the household. With all of that being said however, it was especially difficult for African American individuals during this time period. They faced segregation, discrimination, and most of all, they faced the hardships of trying to become something from absolutely nothing. The two main characters in the book are both coming from similar situations, but are able to have different experiences based off of their gender and “race”. Rhine’s male heredity along with his ability to pass as white allows him many more opportunities in life than what Eddy is allowed because of the fact that she is both African American and a woman.

                The character that I plan to focus the most on is Eddy. I find her to be a very intriguing character throughout the novel, and she never failed to surprise me with more ways she could defy gender norms. The first thing that caught my attention when I began reading the novel that I plan to focus on is the fact that the main character’s name was Eddy. This is unique because Eddy is a woman. Later on in the novel, the author points out that Eddy is the first free born child in her family which makes her “special”. When I read this, I immediately connected that idea to her name. Her parents might have given her a more masculine name to represent the fact that she will be strong, unique, and independent; all characteristics that she never fails to show throughout the novel. “Eddy was a lot of things: fiery, stubborn, and hardheaded to a fault, but whore?” (Jenkins 84). The only female connotated trait in this sequence, “whore”, is the one that is not associated with Eddy.  Thus, the name could have been potential foreshadow to how her character would develop throughout the plot. Being that she has many masculine traits in her personality, Eddy continues to defy societal norms by perusing her goal to leave Denver and make something of herself besides a lone housemaid.

                As she embarks on her journey to California to become a restaurant owner, people are very friendly, and extremely helpful. Along the path, her gender does cause her a major setback in her journey. Being a female, she is gendered as weak, a sexual object, and easy to take advantage of. A “Priest” named Father Nash points out Eddy’s disadvantage by stating that “That’s good. Some people make a living preying on young women like yourself” (Jenkins 28). As much to Eddy’s despair, it turns out that Nash is exactly the man that he warns Eddy about. Robbed, tired, lost, hot, hungry, and scared, Eddy is able to walk away from the situation with her dignity as Nash leaves her stranded in the desert. She does not allow herself to give into him no matter what the consequences might be. After Rhine and his partner Jim find her in the desert and rescue her, she begins to defy her gender norms again by refusing help with her recovery process. She stubbornly tries to get up and walk around on her own but is unable to do so because she is too weak. She is not used to relying on men, and is very skeptical when Rhine continuously tries to help her. In the end, her entire life has revolved around being strong and not relying on others for help. Thus, having people take her in and assist her is something new that she will never really get used to.

                As the novel progresses, her masculine characteristics help spark a love connection between herself and Rhine. Being engaged to a woman who had everything handed to her on a silver platter, Rhine is amazed by Eddy’s sense of independence and lack of reliance on men. Eddy isn’t afraid of hard work, and she is always ready to help others. These are all traits that Rhine grows to admire and love about her. There are also a number of feminine traits that Rhine is drawn to about Eddy such as her softness, her kindness, her cooking abilities, and her beauty. A woman like Eddy is enough to make Rhine question why he is in a relationship with a woman that contains absolutely no love or passion. All in all, you could say that Rhine is driven by Eddy’s feminine characteristics and intrigued by her masculine ones which all come together to create the mysterious love story.