After the Civil War, and continuing through the beginning of the 20th century, many female authors emerged in American literature. Some writers, such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin, articulated explicitly feminist points of view. Others, such as Louisa May Alcott, were less obvious in their intentions with revolutionary pursuits but still brought new perspectives into American literature.
Consider the following questions as you prepare for your assignment:
What were these new perspectives?
How did they differ from male authors of the time?
What did it mean to be a woman and an American author during this time period?
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you do the following:
Identify and discuss which social factors influenced American women writers between 1865 and 1912.
Describe the specific roles these female authors played in this period.
Explain how the perspectives of these female authors differed from those of their male contemporaries.
Illustrate your points using works from major women writers of the period.
Provide some examples of male perspectives for purposes of comparison. You may do so by including evidence from contemporary literary works by male authors.
Note: No outside sources other than the assigned readings are required. However, research is permitted.
Format your paper and all sources according to MLA or APA guidelines.
