The Horse-Dealer's Daughter Lesson Plan

What commentary is Lawrence making on gender roles and masculinity at the start of the story?

The Pervin brothers are described disparagingly in the opening scene of the text. The eldest brother, Joe, comes off as shallow, speaking flippantly and not really caring about his sister's situation as he himself feels safe. The second brother, Fred Henry, is impatient and irritated. The youngest brother, Malcolm, has a naive optimism about his sister's vulnerable position. Lawrence states that there was "a strange air of ineffectuality about the three men." The family has had to sell their childhood home to pay off their late father's debts and they are navigating a now...