Redefining Masculinity: A Comparative Study of Olive Schreiner’s The Story of an African Farm and Allan Grant’s The Woman Who Did

Abstract

Illuminated by the idea that like women, Victorian men often felt the need to transgress or redefine the gender roles society assigned to them, I compared two distinguished New Women fictions The Story of an African Farm written by the pioneer New Woman Olive Schreiner, and The Women Who Did authored by Allen Grant to see how male characters embrace new models of masculinity. With a feminist perspective and a close textual reading approach, I intend to argue that the efforts male characters paid in redefining gender roles in embracing womanhood as free, fearless, and independent, accompanying them with love, understanding, and support have concerns for the integrity of both woman and men, and will lead to a healthy and beautiful human life.