Feminist reading of the Elegy of Thomas Gray written in a country cemeteryWhile “The Elegy written in a country cemetery” by Thomas Gray openly deals with the distinction between social class and the possibility of greatness, the poem also contains a subtle but strong message against the dominant role of men over women in society. Gray's tone throughout the poem is infused with regret and a sense of loss, clearly expressing his views against social class prejudice. This emotional tone, applied to the stereotypical gender roles discussed throughout the poem, describes the injustice of inequality between men and women. Gray begins his argument by explaining the roles of women and men, both in lower-class families and in the noble houses, focusing on their submissive roles. “The busy housewife [provides] her evening care,” looking after the children until “their father returns” after a hard day's work (lines 22-23). Gray depicts the work of a lower-class man as a ploughman, working from morning to evening at his useful labor, without ambition or spirit....