Toliver's Secret

One of the reasons Ellen cannot make the journey to Mr. Shannon’s tavern while presenting as a girl is because of the gender roles typical in 18th-century England and its colonies. This era had stringent, binary gender roles about what type of clothes and behavior were acceptable for “girls” and “boys.” Eighteenth-century medicine and science, as well as “classical thought and Christian ideology” all upheld the belief that “men and women possess naturally distinct physical, mental, and social characteristics” (“Gender in the Proceedings.” The Proceedings of the Old Bailey). Women and girls, like Ellen and Mother, “were expected to be chaste, modest, compassionate, and pious” (“Gender in the Proceedings”). They were largely relegated to the private sphere of the household and oversaw domestic duties. Ellen’s father “wanted Ellen to be ladylike” (11). While Grandfather subverts his contemporary society’s gendered expectation by wanting Ellen to “stand up for [her]self” (10) like he did when he was a boy, Mother upholds them by saying that Ellen “can’t roister about like a boy” (10). Ultimately, Ellen’s bravery and fortitude during her journey subtly critiques the traditional gender roles of the period and emphasizes the capability of girls and women in the American Revolution.