Response Paper Although male authors appeared to dominate literacy in the 17th century, women also had a large role in the development of writing. In "Washing-Day" by Anna Letitia Barbauld and “The Chimney Sweeper” in Songs of Innocence by William Blake the theme, connotation, and style can be compared in many ways. Throughout “Washing-Day” there is a theme of restriction. For instance, fresh linens on a drying line getting in the mud due to their heaviness is seen as one of the “petty miseries of life.” (28) Women deal with the restrictions of only being a housewife to many men. In “The Chimney Sweeper” the reoccurring examples of limitations. Blake writes about the dreams the children working as chimney sweepers have of an afterlife from
