What does William Gibson say about gender roles?

In the South at the time of the late 19th century, a woman’s role was that of mother, wife, and homemaker, but not decision maker. As a Civil War military officer, Captain Keller believed his role to be head of the household. Kate accepted this role, though she did try to intervene in the decisions regarding Helen, but with little success. When Anne Sullivan arrives, however, Captain Keller is faced with an independent woman, one who does not give in to male domination. She is a New Woman, self-determining, opinionated, and vocal about her beliefs. He has difficulty in accepting this, but Anne Sullivan does not give in. In the end, Captain Keller sees her as a competent person in whom to place the responsibility for his daughter. Kate also begins to step forth more under Anne’s guidance. The gender roles in this play can be seen as reflecting the country at large, which within a generation will give women the right to vote.