Literature Through the Ages: How Women’s Writing Fuels Feminism
Written by Tanith Frazier
Photography by Tanith Frazier
Modeled by Reese Tackett
In Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique” she says, “The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own.”
This is just one of many examples on how literature has acted as a voice for women and feminist movements for thousands of years. Through the ages, authors such as Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Roxane Gay, and Margaret Atwood have all made feminist contributions through fiction and non-fiction writing, and women’s literature has always been closely connected with women’s activism.
Women’s literature saw its first uprising during the early concepts of the feminist movement, also referred to as the first wave of feminism. First Wave Feminism showcased a variety of monumental writings by women that addressed controversial ideas, such as “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin and “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf. Popular works like these and many others during this era highlighted themes of marital rights, education for women, and the problems associated with conforming to society’s expectations. New expressions of feminism through writing helped to develop voices for women authors and influenced how women’s rights were being discussed and shown.
Soon after the women’s suffrage movement, women’s activism transitioned into the mid-20th century which introduced confessional writing and focused more on diversity in women’s literature. Mental illness and sexual expression was very prominent among popular authors such as Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, and “The Feminine Mystique” was acknowledged as a catalyst for the movement. This time period also brought us “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, which addressed themes of racial discrimination, lesbian relationships, and abuse.
The second wave feminist movement helped to develop women’s literature in very controversial but direct and impactful ways by discussing what discrimination and struggles women of all races were experiencing. The third wave of feminism, which came after the mid-20th century and looked at women’s rights through an intersectional lens, led to a focus on environmental impacts, and addressed gender identity and culture amongst all genders. Literature during this era started to incorporate more themes of sexuality and deconstructing the concept of the “male gaze” while redefining what it means to be a woman.
While many individuals believe most of today’s books are geared towards women and there is actually a lack of writing for men, there is also an argument to be made about the content in books made for women. It is true that with the popularity of “booktok” and mainstream authors like Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry, it has become increasingly common for books to be marketed towards women. But we cannot acknowledge all modern books written by women as feminist without looking into the substance of the writing. In recent years there has been a rising controversy behind popular romance and fantasy novels like “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover, because of the female characters being written to appeal to the male gaze, along with struggles like domestic violence being romanticized for the story. While books like this have become some of the most popular works of literature in modern day, readers seeking modern feminist literature can still acknowledge lesser known authors making large moves to contribute to feminism.
In the argued absence of feminist literature today, books like “Chouette” by Claire Oshetsky, “When Women Were Dragons” by Kelly Barnhill, and “She-Wolves, The Untold History of Women on Wall Street” by Paulina Bren, continue to make waves in women’s literature by discussing both modern and early themes of feminism and creating new inventive ways to tell women’s stories. Over time women’s literature has become more widely accepted and shifted into a less controversially feminist portrayal of women, but it continues to serve as a voice for women to express their beliefs and make contributions to the feminist movement through creative ideas and concepts.
