The limiting structure of traditional gender roles becomes one of the largest obstacles that Callie faces. As a young woman in the south during the late 19th century, Callie finds herself continuously at odds with the idea of who a woman should be and what she is expected to do. In this traditional society, women are expected to be homemakers, wives, and mothers; they experience little to no social mobility or capital except for their socioeconomic status. Women from “good families”—meaning women who come from wealth—are expected to marry into other “good families,” with no exception. As an aspiring scientist, Callie does not want to give up science to learn how to become a “young woman of society” (191) and finds herself constantly at odds with these expectations.

Callie’s mother and her best friend Lula symbolize the ideal woman within this society. Callie’s mother is a beautiful woman who spends her days entertaining guests in her parlor and caring for the children, while Lula embodies the “ideal” traditional attributes for girls who are Callie’s age. By fulfilling the role that their gender places on them, both Lula and Callie’s mother serve as contrasts to Callie, who possesses radical ideas for how her future will unfold.