During the 1600s, women were stereotyped as being expected to behave obediently, remain uneducated, and follow the traditions of their own culture. Although these social norms were clearly oppressive and offensive, fighting against these expectations was a courageous act, as Bethia Mayfield demonstrates in the novel Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, Bethia finds herself confronted with the first Native American to go to Harvard, a college education coveted but out of reach. From a young age, Bethia was expected by society to fit perfectly into the mold of women during this historical period. As Bethia grows through the novel, she learns to become her own person and goes from submissive to completely Christian. and without an education to become a strong woman, Bethia's life marks a turning point when she breaks free from the stereotypical role her society expects of an English girl by embracing Native American traditions, seeking an education, and defying oppression that women live in this area. time has been confronted. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Despite the lack of women's rights, Bethia courageously manages to speak out in order to defend her position as a woman. Although Bethia initially obeys dominant males, she eventually speaks her mind when the oppression becomes too much. Makepeace treats Bethia like an object rather than a person when he trades Bethia's hand in marriage for her freedom without her approval. Makepeace responds to Bethia's justified protests by commanding her, "Thou shalt do my will in this, and that is all," to which Bethia responds, "Damn it, Makepeace" (Brooks, 178). Bethia's response to Makepeace shows that she has grown up enough to finally stand up for herself instead of letting men dictate her life. Rather than allowing her brother to force her down a life path she doesn't want, she defies the social norm of women obeying superior men. In addition to defending her own rights, Bethia expresses her feminist views. While discussing poetry, she puts her job and potential marriage in jeopardy when she expresses her disapproved opinion to Master Corlett and Samuel arguing, "Perhaps the very volume in my hands testifies to the fact that women can sometimes be able to stand alongside men. , and not always in all cases behind them,” causing “the elder Corlett to raise his eyebrows at this, but his son nodded, thinking” (193). Bethia's comment demonstrates that she believes it is more important to defend women's rights than to quietly follow the beliefs of her superiors, such as Master Corlett and Samuel. She will risk what others think of her if it allows her to stand up for women. Finally, Bethia defends women by arguing against men instead of letting them control her thoughts. Bethia does not argue against her father when he says to her: "I would do you no favor if I were to send you to your husband with a sharp mind to find fault in every one of his arguments or to improve his in every detail » (17). However, years later, Bethia disregards her father's earlier warning by bickering with Samuel over topics such as Anne's escape. Bethia expresses her own opinions and speaks out against Samuel's, leading Samuel to call her "strong-minded" and "stubborn" (226), which are two characteristics that her father tries to prevent her from become with his previous comment and, in general,characteristics that women should not have today. In many cases, Bethia uses the wisdom that her words convey to challenge the gender roles that were present in the 1600s. Bethia learns to step outside of the box that society has put her in when her choices are dictated by her desire to 'learn. First, Bethia chooses to break the rules in order to improve her knowledge. Bethia admits her questionable act when she tells readers: "As often as I could, I hid one of Makepeace's Latin books in my shopping cart... If I couldn't leave any unnoticed, then I took one of my father's texts » (14). Instead of acting like the expected and obedient daughter Bethia should be, she commits the sin of stealing and breaks the rules. Bethia is so eager to learn that she betrays her father's teachings and trust just to get unwarranted readings to study, even though girls shouldn't study. Additionally, Bethia chooses her job based on the benefits it will bring to her education. Bethia announces that she has taken a low position at Harvard for no other reason than that she "will benefit from these lectures - I can't help but hear them while I'm cooking dinner", even though Master Corlett asserts: "you shouldn't work as a housekeeper, it's beneath you” (239). Bethia's new job demonstrates her dedication to learning. While most people would take the best, most dignified, best-paying job, Bethia has become so dedicated to her education that she is willing to sacrifice the possibility of a better job. Bethia not only considers the possibility of education a valued factor in choosing a job; she also sees it as an important factor when selecting a suitor. While considering Noah and Samuel as potential husbands, Bethia realizes that a life without Samuel as a husband would consist of "more Latin phrases drifting down the halls, more works of poetry given to me by men of tall in scholar’s ​​dress, no more noble rhetoric or poetry.” witty arguments” (232). Shortly after this consideration, she chose Samuel over Noah. Bethia's choice shows that knowledge is an important factor in important life-changing situations. Instead of choosing her arranged and expected suitor, she decides to marry the man who can most benefit her education. Bethia makes the difficult decision to steal, to choose a degrading job and to base her choice of husband on a singular quality: the ability to learn. Bethia leaves the path set by society when she dares to appreciate the customs of Native American culture. Although Bethia was raised in a strongly Christian environment, she feels connected to the generally frowned upon Native American religious traditions. After listening to a haunting customary Native American song, Bethia realizes, “There was power here, spiritual power. This moved me deeply. I had fought for this power, week after week, as the daughter of the devoted minister in the Lord's Day meeting. But our austere worship had never moved my soul as this pagan song did” (30). Bethia's hypnosis would likely come as a disturbing shock to her society, as most people at the time claimed that the religion of the Native Americans should be replaced with Christianity. Bethia's admiration for this song is an act of defiance against the expectations of her society. This encounter with Native American religion is not the only time Bethia feels touched by it; at one point, she is also aware of the presence of Native American idols in her life. After Caleb explains Kessakand, the sun god,,.