Societal Views Of WomeN

Society’s idea of what a woman ‘should be’ has varied wildly throughout history due to the fact that gender is a construct, an idea not based in truth, imposed by others. The expectations placed on females have been particularly evident in literature. Just as the attitudes of society have shifted, the themes in significant periods of literature have changed to reflect these shifts.

Three significant periods of literature are Realism, Modernism, and Contemporary. Through the study of notable works in each period, a person may glean the views held by humanity at the time they were written.