The central battle in the modern feminist movement has been the battle against established gender roles. Women no longer believe that it is obligatory for them to be a mother and housewife simply because they were born female, or that it is a man's job to be a worker and breadwinner simply because he was born male. Therefore, it is common in feminist articles and literature to discuss the idea of ​​"blending" gender roles. Through the character of Seymour Glass in "Raise the Roof Beam, Carpenters," J.D. Salinger successfully blurs conventional male and female roles, creating a character who, in any other situation, would be an asset to feminist philosophy. However, by portraying Seymour as quantifiably insane and suicidal, Salinger creates a tragically anti-feminist character who essentially re-establishes outmoded gender stereotypes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayBuddy Glass, the narrator of "Raise the Roof Beam, Carpenters" and "Seymour, an Introduction," describes his brother as a typical boy. Seymour gets his hair cut at the barber, is the best marble player on the playground, and is "the fastest runner in the world" ("Seymour" 162-211). Seymour is clearly expected to respect appropriate male gender roles. However, Buddy's descriptions of Seymour in his older years largely break free from the confines of gender role. According to openly antifeminist scholar Stephen B. Clark, "[m]en bear primary responsibility for the larger community. Women bear primary responsibility for household management and the rearing of young children" (Clark 36). However, Buddy consistently describes Seymour as a mother figure in "Raise the Roof Beam, Carpenters." Taking on traditionally feminine responsibilities, Seymour not only cares for her younger siblings, but also expresses a deep, almost maternal nature. In her diary, Seymour describes several distinct moments of "motherhood," such as when she takes her younger brother Zooey to see a movie: "She was about six or seven, and she went under the seat to avoid looking at a scary scene. I put the my hand on his head" ("Arise" 75). This tender action is rarely demonstrated in male characters and therefore must be classified as a "feminine" trait. Seymour goes beyond simply comforting his brothers during horror movies; Buddy describes him getting up in the middle of the night with Franny in tears and feeding her from a bottle (3). This is an unmistakably maternal image, highly unusual in a male character. In many ways, this is exactly the kind of character that feminist theorists desire: someone who distances themselves from well-defined gender roles and can successfully shift their usual responsibilities. However, while Seymour in and of himself is an ideal feminist character, Salinger creates a number of problems that fundamentally contradict this development. For example, the maid of honor constantly makes remarks that emasculate Seymour. Not only does she comment that Seymour is most likely "a latent homosexual" (36), but she also complains that he doesn't "just say it [to her boyfriend? ©], like a man" (24). Even if the reader is not meant to see the maid of honor as a reliable character, hers is the only opinion Salinger gives in association with Seymour's masculinity and gender position. So, whether she is completely trustworthy or not, the verdict is clear: it is not "manly" to take part in the female sphere. To reconcile Seymour's sex with her maternal instincts and sense of duty, it cannot be. 1991.