A Reflection on Ryman's Air

Although it's been quite a while since we've read Geoff Ryman's novel Air, I'd like to discuss the theme of gender roles and stereotypes by observing some of the characters in this novel. If we look at the female and male characters in Air, we can see that in general, the female characters are portrayed as more intelligent, determined, and strong-minded while the male characters are mostly depicted as irrational and not technologically savvy. For example, Mae is the female protagonist of this novel, and she definitely represents a positive image of women. When she learns about Air, she doesn't back away from it; instead, she strives to master its intricacies so that she can help the rest of her village prepare for the second coming of Air. She comes across as a character that never gives up fighting for what she believes in, even though the majority of the village is against her beliefs and efforts. She is also a very successful businesswoman who has to work extra hard to support her husband, and later herself. Her friend, Kwan, is Eloi and thus suffers from some stereotypes associated with this native tribe. However, she strives to defy and disprove these claims by using Air to create pages that reveal the truth about the Eloi. Again, as a woman, she is portrayed as a strong character.

Moving on, the men in this novel are definitely not represented in a very favorable light. First, Mae’s husband Joe is probably the least positive character in this novel. From the beginning, we can see that he doesn’t really know what he’s doing – Mae has to help him with his business but even then, he doesn’t listen to her advice. He’s also very irrational and extremely mean to his supportive wife. Additionally, Teacher Shen is the male schoolteacher of Mae’s village. He believes that what Mae is doing is wrong, and thus denounces her in front of a crowd of people. He is seen as very behind the times and irrational with his temper. Furthermore, Mr. Oz Oz is a member of the government but is there to help Mae help her village. Although he has the right intentions, he is illustrated in sort of a helpless and stupid manner. Thus, with these characters, we can see that women are portrayed in a much more positive light than men are in Ryman’s novel Air. I thought that this was quite interesting, especially because Ryman is writing as a male.