Women Gaining Strength

5 Pages 1263 Words

Women Gaining Strength


It is very obvious that the roles of women have altered significantly over time. Despite the fact that they are not as important today, a couple hundred years ago they controlled their lifestyle. During that time period it was a man’s responsibility take care of women and to be the one who represent their household. In the late 17th century the job of a woman consist of organizing the house. Keeping everything in the home running in a smoothly manner such as preparing all the meals and keeping up with the chores. It was very common for the males to have the voice of the family; therefore a woman’s opinion was rarely heard. In the beginning of the 18th century a few things began to change. Woman were slowly starting to stand up for themselves and voicing their opinions. This time period was known as a transition period, and women’s lifestyles were definitely apart of it. There were several different types of writers during this time. There were male writers and poets that still wrote about what they believed a woman’s life should consist of at that time. Majority of their writings were insensitive but some of them were considerate. Several stories and poems would bring down the confidences of many females are. On the other hand a couple of the male writers would put females first such as are Geoffrey Chaucer and Edmund Spenser. This was also the time where woman finally started writing their own stories and poems. Many of them spoke out, voicing the thoughts on men, marriage, and their own personal beliefs. A two of the female writers are Katherine Philips and Margey Kempe. In each of the texts expresses a different concept on gender roles, which is why English Literature during the 17th and 18th century is extremely interesting.
To begin with, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, which consist of several short stories; the passage he wrote pertaining to woman was “The Wif...