How are gender roles defined?

I read Yellow Wallpaper, Even the Queen, and A Good Man is Hard to find along with the class reading of Girl.
I think when it comes to gender roles it all boils down to dominance. Males have always been dominant in a patriarchal society so it is stereotypical to see male characters that are assertive and look down at women for being the fairer sex. The power a man holds is always put forth. For example, in the story Girl, the main character is being informed of all the things she needs to do that would make her a good wife and find a good man. She is not told how to be a better person for herself. She is making herself a better fit for a more powerful man. She is told specific things like how to iron clothes, how to not behave in the presence of a man, and how to cook. That is the stereotypical housewife.
In the play the Doll House, the gender roles are clearly defined. The wife goes out shopping and the husband belittles her for spending so much. He even shames her for buying macaroons. The title of the story makes sense when you delve deeper into the work and see more of how the husband treats his wife - like a child because in the time period of this work, women were seen as helpless creatures who need men's guidance to survive. He does not talk to her about anything serious and she leaves him in the end, stating that she has been treated like a doll her whole life, first by her father and then by him. That says a lot about gender roles when it comes to marriage as well. When a man marries a female, he takes the place of her father as her authority figure.
It is quite sad that this had to occur back in the day and it is even sadder that a lot of men still think like about women today. I think relationships between a man and women should not be a relationship that requires authority over the other but rather mutual understanding, support, and good communication.