uston 708). He is frightened of attachment since his “masculinity is defined through separation” and independence (Gilligan 393).The narrator in Houston’s short story is capable of recognizing her dependence on men, their controlling behavior, and her need for security, but she is trapped within her feelings, her desires for the hunter and the norms imposed by society. Similarly, the watercress girl and Dora described in Steedman’s work “Histories” are trapped within economic factors and social morals of their time respectively. The watercress girl is born into financially insecure family, which shapes her identity, while Dora’s value in the social world is determined by what she possesses, not by her individuality. In contrast to the woman portrayed by Houston who wants to be “rescued from emptiness and loneliness by man, the main character of Doris Lessing’s narrative, “Woman on a Roof” seeks the separation from men and is attracted to their attention (Gilligan 396). She remains unresponsive to all attempts of the three construction workers to make her take a notice of them. The sunbathing woman’s indifferent attitude towards these men of distinct ages evokes a strong reaction from them. Harry, the oldest of the three men accepts the woman’s presence and attitude with relative tolerance, but for the younger men she becomes an object that mirrors their own sexual insecurities and desires. In Stanley she arouses aggressiveness that shows his anxious state of mind. She also awakens a sense of fear within him because she reminds him that his own wife is also a woman, capable of being independent and unashamed of her body. More that anything else he is afraid of not being able to control her. Tom, the youngest, has erotic dreams about the woman and sees her tenderly. He perceives her as an object that he owns. This sense of ownership is derived from the idea that...
