Gender Bias Expressed in Women's Literature

Gender Bias Expressed in Women's Literature

"The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race." --Susan B. Anthony (www.feminist.com)

Throughout history there has been an unwritten law of gender roles. Society has rooted the idea that women are subservient to men. It has only been in the past one hundred years that some women have started to have the same rights as men. Women have fought for rights that establish the same social, economic, and political status that men have. Though many countries have started considering women as equals, such as the United States, Canada, and Europe, there are still many parts of the world, such as India Africa, and Latin America where women are still considered subservient to men.

English: A young girl of the Bozo people along Nig...

Susan B. Anthony spoke at every convention from 18...

English: US Postage stamp, Susan B. Anthony, 1936 ...

Although women in the "Westernized" world have gained significant legal rights, many people believe that women still do not have complete political, economic, and social equality. The pieces of literature that I will discuss show how women have certain roles assigned to them and some of the literature shows how women were able to rise above their "so called" place in society.

In Western Europe, Sidonie Colette addresses the issue of gender inequality in her short story "The Other Wife." The dominance of the male over the female is acted out in a public restaurant. Throughout the entire story we can see that Marc, the husband, tries to take control of the situation in the restaurant. He does this by tightening his grip on Alice's (his new wife) arm, choosing where to sit, ordering their food, and leading...