Arthur Ryerson had to lay down the law to Mrs. Ryerson: "You must obey orders. When they say ‘Women and children to the boats,’ you must go when your turn comes. I’ll stay here with Jack Thayer. We’ll be all right."
Alexander T. Compton, Jr., was just as firm when his mother announced she would stay rather than leave him behind: "Don’t be foolish, Mother. You and Sister go in the boat—I’ll look out for myself."
What do the actions and dialogue of the characters in this excerpt reveal about the roles of men and women during this time period?
They were well-defined but not easily followed.
They were old-fashioned for the time period.
They were constantly changing.
They were usually forgotten.
