The novel is describing Gerald and Ellen’s early years of marriage and the state of gender roles during the Civil War era. This passage shows that women in this time period are indeed powerful—but their power is subtle. Rather than being straightforward and blunt about running a plantation, like a man is able to do, women instead work behind the scenes to run things. Essentially, this passage suggests that women are the ones who actually run the show—but the strict gender roles of the time make it so it’s inappropriate for a woman to acknowledge this and take credit for…