The Constraints on Women’s Impact in Literature in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century

While the late 19th and early 20th century had huge gain in women in literature, it is necessary to acknowledge the setbacks that they faced while trying to advocate for their rights and equality. Though woman writers had transformed literature in many ways that would impact society greatly, they dealt with many limitations from society that often constrained their influence. Marginalization continued for women especially in literature as many female writers were still disregarded and not taken seriously. A few other literary movements at that time were rising and would often overshadow women and their influence such as modernism and realism. 

An argument that is often made against the influence of women in literate at the turn of the century is how women writers were held back by society which often restricted their access to participate in literature in America. Even the most influential female writers such as Virginia Wolf, Kate Chopin, and Edith Wharton were limited in literature despite their success due to the gender norms that women were meant to be wives and mothers, rather than writers. These women had to work double as hard and put up double to fight to be recognized as intelligent and important writers. 

It wasn’t just that society thought women who pursued careers were not as capable as men or as serious, they went as far as to say they were mentally unstable. In Sandra Gilbert’s and Susan Gubar’s novel The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination, they analyze Victorian literature and the female characters as they were often either depicted as angels or monsters. The restriction on women’s creativity and expression is argued that it often labeled women who did defy social norms as insane. The authors write, “A life of feminine submission, of ‘contemplative purity,’ is a life of silence, a life that has no pen and no story, while a life of female rebellion, of ‘significant action,’ is a life that must be silenced, a life whose monstrous pen tells a terrible story.” Female writers had faced more significant challenges than male writers as men were able to benefit from better education and already male dominated literary fields. 

Often when women pursued writing, it was seen as a leisure activity. As if woman who had extra time from all their other pursuits, such as maintaining house or raising children, were the only ones who could express themselves in that way. When women did write and gain any type of success they were often confined to specific genres. Romance and children’s literature were the common themes of women’s literature, and it was frequently considered trivial and insignificant. Although some women broke through these boundaries, many were still dismissed by the already male dominated field, supporting the idea that women’s literary work was inferior.

An author who is still highly regarded as one of the most influential female writers today, Virginia Woolf, struggled to gain a voice during her life and receive recognition for her works. The literary field ignored and marginalized women contributions and as for Woolf, her style of writing and intellect were regarded as misunderstood. One can question whether this claim came from genuine confusion on her writing, or the unwillingness to accept a woman in an intellectual position. 

The significance of the female influence on literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was also pushed back upon by other literary movements that were typically male-driven. Some of the largest movements during that time period was modernism and realism. Modernism focused on the rise of capitalism and industrialization to break traditional literary forms. Realism is portraying reality and everyday experiences as they are in that time. Some of the most influence writers during these movements were James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, and T.S. Elliot. Today, female writers such as Virginia Woolf and Edith Wharton are considered to be one of the most notable modernist writers, but during their time, the contributions they made were more overlooked. The article The Gender of Modernism: A Critical Anthology states, “Though some of the aesthetic and political pronouncements of women writers had been offered in public, they had not circulated widely and were rarely collected for academic recirculation.” It is evident that during this period men were more likely to gain the recognition for their work and therefore, gain the financial stability and freedom to continue being great, known writers. 

Through the many setbacks women had to face in literature, it can be argued that they were limited in their influence, but the most impactful notion is their resistance to keep fighting. By writing outside boundaries that were considered acceptable for women, they were able to reshape and challenge literature and societal norms. As women were constantly being oppressed when it came to literature and society, there fight to keep themselves known to the world as intellectual and creative human beings made their work all that more impactful. It is because of the constraints that were set upon them that made their contributions so much more powerful and meaningful. As attitudes in society shifted towards women, the works of previous literary work by female writers, gained recognition and inspired future generations. The limitations imposed on women writers made their impact more profound and important as their contributions to literature shaped the world today.

Resource

Gilbert S, Gubar S. From the Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Short Story Criticism. 2003;62:122-229.

https://primo.rowan.edu/permalink/01ROWU_INST/ttegd8/cdi_gale_lco_AZFFX_SCWSTQ526662063

Scott, B. (1990). The Gender of Modernism: A Critical Anthology. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/113360.