Evolving Roles

The Westing Game gradually introduces the idea of how women can have roles in society that do not include being an obedient housewife.  From the beginning, J.J. Ford is an accomplished African American women who serves as a Judge. Slowly, Angela, Turtle, and Grace evolve from being women to successful independent women.
Angela is a quiet girl who spends her time with needlework and assuming the role her mother told her she should take.  When Angela wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, she was told she was too pretty and there was not enough money to pay for a girl to go to college.  Throughout The Westing Game Angela tries to find herself for who she is and not who others expect her to be. By the end of the story, she has become an orthopedic surgeon and on her own was a successful woman.
While Grace Wexler was not exactly the quietest woman in the story, she definitely had nothing to show for her accomplishments at the beginning.  She strived to appear at a higher rank than she was by how she held herself, dressed, and decorated her apartment.  She was constantly telling her daughters how to act in a way that appealed to society.  And yet, by the end of the story, she had taken over the Chinese restaurant and created a chain of restaurants in different towns around the area.  I feel that this accomplishment gave a way to show that even the older and more occupationally reserved women could come out of their shell and hold a position in the professional world.
Turtle was always outspoken and independent. Right next to the Judge, I feel that she became one of the most successful of the entire book. by studying law and being the legal counsel of Westing Paper Products Corporation and soon to be the chair of the company, I believe that she rose to heights that women of the late 70's could rarely accomplish.
In the beginning, the woman that stood out the most with accomplishments was J.J. Ford. By the end, she still was highly respected as a Supreme Court Justice.  Throughout the novel young Angela finds herself and realizes she does not have to act the way others expect her to act; Angela goes back to school and becomes a doctor.  Turtle who always wanted to be a success continues her dream.  Grace, who no one ever suspected would lift a finger to do work, finally finds her calling as a businesswoman.  The Westing Game brings the roles of women to a different light. As an accomplished writer, perhaps this was a hidden meaning that Ellen Raskin wanted to get across to the readers of her own success story.