-
Essay / Women's Progress - 670
The women's rights movement (1848-1920) was not an unanticipated revolution. Its evolution is visible through the works of several writers of American literature, within the great eras of its arrival. During the period of exploration and colonization (1492-1700), Anne Bradstreet introduced the world to the potential of female writers. Then, during the period of Enlightenment and Revolution (1700-1830), Phillis Wheatly, an enslaved African woman, broke out of her boundaries by using her intellect to express her opinions to members of a race that considered itself superior. Finally, in the mid-1800s, women decided to take action and demand the rights they thought they were entitled to, and Margaret Fuller shocked the nation with her writings on equality. The emergence of the women's rights movement can be attributed to writers Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatly, and Margaret Fuller, women who were not afraid to speak out on a complex issue in an era of male domination. Their writings all contain similar opinions and attitudes towards the subject and provide the basis for a broader view. Their controversial writings influenced and slowly unfolded the fight for women's rights for several decades before her arrival in bringing attention to the controversial topic of women's rights. During the period of exploration and colonization, women were not recognized. Nations were preoccupied with conquering and settling new lands, leaving all other matters aside. Men were the main forces in the exploration and women were not involved. Anne Bradstreet's writings during this period marked the first major step for women in American literature. Her writing style challenged current views on women's writing and encouraged other women to pursue writing...... middle of paper ...... in 2009 he stated that “ poetry, always aesthetically privileged, could simultaneously confirm women's literary abilities and American values.” civilization while remaining modestly “small”. (Kilcup). Poetry was not necessarily about concepts, but rather about appearance. It was more about the impressions than what was underneath. Although poetry is not one of the most informative forms of writing, it nevertheless provides a foundation for valuable, yet subtle, awareness. This is not a style of writing intended to inform but rather to introduce a topic and allow readers to draw their own conclusions from the material. Bradstreet played an important role in the emergence of women's rights by introducing the idea of women's equality to America, leaving it up to others to take the material and use it as they saw fit. Without Bradstreet's initial initiative, the women's rights movement might have been further hampered..