STLT (Gender Roles)

How are traditional gender roles depicted in Small Things Like These?

Women are largely confined to domestic and care work—running households, raising children—while men (like Furlong) engage in paid manual labour. This division underscores a rigid social order that limits women’s agency and visibility.

In what ways does the Magdalene laundry enforce gender norms?

The laundry punishes “fallen” women by forcing them into domestic, unpaid work—sewing, mending, cleaning—which reinforces the idea that a woman’s value is tied to her sexual “purity” and her capacity for servitude.

How does Claire Keegan contrast male and female spheres in the novella?

Keegan uses setting to draw contrasts: Furlong’s workplace is public and mobile, while the laundry is hidden and insular. This spatial separation mirrors how men navigate society more freely, whereas women’s lives are controlled behind closed doors.

What does Furlong’s empathy toward the laundry girls reveal about his view of gender?

His discomfort at seeing young girls laboring in harsh conditions signals his rejection of societal norms that devalue female suffering. It highlights his belief in universal human dignity, irrespective of gender.

Eileen's comment

Her comment highlights how unusual it was for women to have the freedom Mrs Wilson did as women were reliant on their husbands and the church

In what way does the novella critique the impact of gendered expectations on individual lives?

By showing the crushing impact of enforced “virtue” on the laundry women, the story exposes how rigid gender norms can destroy lives, and argues for empathy over judgment in assessing human worth.

How do small acts in the text challenge prevailing gender roles?

Furlong’s choice to shelter the children—stepping outside his prescribed male role of provider into a protective, nurturing position—undermines the strict gender divide and suggests a more fluid, humane ethic.

Mother Superior's implication

She implies that no matter how intelligent or hardworking girls may be they will be inferior solely because of their gender

Bill's thoughts

Bill recognises that women have great intuition and were pragmatic