How does Willy Russell address issues of gender in the extracts from 'Shirley Valentine'?

... Task: How does Willy Russell address issues of gender in the extracts from 'Shirley Valentine'? The 1980's was a decade of reform from what was considered the expected roles of society. A major youth society emerged with more youths being independent from their older generations at an earlier age; this is signified by the masses of music written at the time aimed at the youth and the boost in nightclubs. Following the movements of the 70's and early 80's women's rights had been greatly changed; their roles in the work place had been widened, women now could take more senior positions as equals to the men unlike generations before where women would be housewives or be employed work which was seen as appropriately feminine at the time. Similarly roles in the relationships were changing; those women who were now full time worker in powerful positions could no longer look after the

want to read more? →