Real women are not reflected in “The Doorbell Rang”

by Julieta Acevedo

“No one makes cookies like Grandma” is the phrase which is repeated over and over along the story “The Doorbell Rang”. But let´s think a bit deeper, what is hidden behind that? What type of belief is concealed in such words? This story is about a mother who has made some cookies for her children. Then, the bell rings and rings and many kids appear. Even though in this story the value of sharing is important, the typical housewife role of the woman which differs very much from nowadays reality is as well prominent.

The mother of this story represents the ordinary middle class housewife. Throughout the text she is shown doing housework since she is making cookies for their kids and she is washing the floor. And of course she is taking care of their kids, which is another activity performed by traditional housewives. The role of the mother depicted in the story does not coincide with the actual role of a woman due to the fact that, nowadays, they not only do housework but they also perform different activities outside the house.

The other woman who appears in the story is grandma. Even though she is mentioned a lot of times during the story, she only appears at the end. The only thing that is highlighted about her is her cooking ability since it is mentioned plenty of times during the story and since finally she appears at the door of the house with a huge plate full of cookies. Nowadays grannies are not only fond of cooking for their grandchildren; they are as well interested in going to the hairdresser’s, going on travel and playing cards with friends.

Women in this story perform activities such as cleaning, cooking and taking care of their children. Nowadays women do these things but they also work, go to the gym, and do activities which do not involve housework. Furthermore, actual mothers even share housework with their husbands. The role of the women in nowadays society differs enormously from the traditional one and it should be considered when writing for children in order to be closer to their reality.