Emerging Female Literature in the 15th and 16th Century :: Free Essay Writer

With the successive reigns by two educated queens in the sixteenth snow there began a close examination of the womans social function in society (Hull 1). Although nothing drastic, small numbers of women began to gain an rearing which taught them to read. The exact number is unknown and there is some controversy as to how many women could actually read. However, according to Suzanne Hull the small but steadfast stream of books for a female audience (Hull 1) indicates that there were a evolution number of women who could read. These books were directed towards women for various reasons. unitary main reason was to get a line women in their roles as marriage partners, making certain that women (and men) understood the implemental role of the female sex (Hull 6). Many books focused on the casual activities of womenmid-wifery, cooking, housewifery. . .education of young girls. . .Benedictine rules (Hull 10) are some of the subjects addressed. These educational texts f ar outnumbered the fictional texts. However, this was promptly changing. As the number of women reading increased, so did the publishing of recreational books (Hull 74). to a greater extent women began to read the romances (see history of the novel), the poetry, the jingles. . .allegories. . .and female biographies (Hull 71). This brought up controversy about what girls were position into their heads (see controversy). Both the feminist and anti-feminist positions appear in drama and fiction as well as philosophical arguments (Hull 83). However, try as they might, the anti-feminists were fighting a losing battle. Although this controversy of what women read was not as strong as it was in the eighteenth centurythere were other topics which led great debate. One such topic was the nature of women. These arguments included that women were inferior because they were created from Adams rib, men are stronger and therefore superior, Eve as a woman, caused the true sin. With ea ch argument is a counter argument which allowed this topic to be discussed for many, many years.