The 1920’s was the start of a revolution for women. With the 19th Amendment being passed which allowed woman to vote, this was an immense accomplishment for women everywhere, but not all women felt the effects of this change. Women in the American South were isolated to many changes that were happening around the rest of the country. This can be seen in many books from this time. Modern Scholars of Feminist literary theory look at literature through a narrow lens that focuses on the writer’s view of women whether it be economic, social, and/or psychological related; in the same way, William Faulkner’s 1930 As I Lay Dying also examines the American South in the 1920 's in terms of economic struggles, social acceptance and psychological struggles. Today’s Feminist Theory critics can see evidence of Faulkner’s admiration and sympathetic views of woman during the 1920’s.
Feminist Theory is significant when reading literature because this view of literature allows us to see the changes in how the world, especially men, have viewed women over time: “All feminist activity, including feminist theory and literary criticism, has as its ultimate goal to change the world by prompting gender equality” (Tyson) Many works of literature are misogynistic where the female character is shown to be weak, promiscuous or non-existent. Understanding where we as women have come from helps us appreciate male writers like William Faulkner who portray his female characters as women of merit.
In Southern America, women were raised to be three things: First polite …show more content…
Sentence of Explanation: Addie marries Anse because he has a house with land and to atone for her own sins of hating the school kids.
Evidence: “But you’ve got a house. They tell me you’ve got a house and a good farm.”