For Anne Hutchinson, being a woman didn’t hold her back from what she believed she was capable of. The constant disregard for women and their voice was no match for her. Anne defied the odds and common morals for a puritan woman in the sixteen hundreds, which from what the law says, could have no voice. She didn’t let this stop her. Anne protruded her voice into the world whether the high officials, reverends, or men in the town liked or agreed with it. As a woman, Anne Hutchinson was seen as an idol for making her voice known and not having any remorse for what men had to say about her or to her. Even being tried in court for her views and beliefs never stopped her. She was a perfect replica of her father, whom also was tried, sent to prison, …show more content…
As If having multiple families follow her in her journey whenever she was excommunicated from her own home wasn’t enough, Anne continued to show everyone that she didn’t have a care about how women should act and only acted on how she wanted to be as a women with a voice. Being a woman should come with the right of voice and the right to be heard, therefore, Anne Hutchinson set an example for women to not be defined by what the law says, even if it does mean losing everything and even spending some of one’s life in jail. For those who followed Anne, they knew it was a sacrifice and life wouldn’t be the same, but there was the new found knowledge of being able to talk about faith, question the sermons in confidence, and be able to be the women they were born to be. Without Anne Hutchinson and the time she spent being the woman she really was, the place that women are in in today’s time, might not be the same. Today’s women have many people to thank for their courage for standing up, but the first woman who should be thanked is Anne Hutchinson. The author shows on many occasions how magnificent Anne was as a woman and as a spokesperson for
Anne Hutchinson was a remarkable colonial woman who first came to Massachusetts in the fall of 1634. She is less remembered for her contributions in the new world as a wife, mother of fourteen, and midwife to many than for her eventual trial and banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. I was interested in writing a paper on a colonial woman and chose Anne Hutchinson after a "Google" search turned up a very good review on a recent book about her life. I have been intrigued by the fact that the Puritans came to America to practice their religion freely, yet allowed no freedom to question their doctrine. The book, American Jezebel: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans, is an excellent examination of this lack of religious freedom and the life of a woman that intersects it.
However, while embracing the often axiomatic freedoms of today, women everywhere should take time to acknowledge the struggles of previous generations. If one were to delve into the history of early American society, they would surely discover a male-dominated nation where women were expected to tend to their kitchen rather than share the responsibility of high government. During this time, a woman was considered the property of her husband, and was to remain compliant and silent. Nevertheless, two brilliant writers, Lydia Marie Child and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, resolved to confront and address the oppression afflicting America’s women. Although these two women have different styles of writing, they both advocate similar contentions.
Literary historicism, in the context of this discussion, describes the interpretation of literary or historical texts with respect to the cultural and temporal conditions in which they were produced. This means that the text not only catalogues how individuals respond to their particular circumstances, but also chronicles the movements and inclinations of an age as expressed in the rhetorical devices of its literature. Evaluating the trial of Anne Hutchinson within such a theoretical framework means speculating on the genesis of her theological beliefs with recourse to prevailing theories of gender, class, and interpretation. Because texts are self-contained spheres of discourse, nuanced interpretations of them can be undertaken with greater assiduity than in the case of individuals whose private experiences remain largely concealed from the interpreter's knowledge. A historical analysis of Anne Hutchinson herself is hence, in the present discussion, secondary to the analysis of how she comes across in textual discourse as a palimpsest of seventeenth century gender controversy.
Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were one in the same character: A ruthless dissenter who went against the majority. They both believed in conscience liberty, suffered persecution at the hands of the theocrats, and both went on to help dissenters make life anew in the colonies.
However, it wasn’t her education, but watching her father, who was a judge and lawyer, handle his cases, that cause her to become involved in various movements because it was in court with her father that she saw firsthand how women suffered legal discrimination. It was here that she realized that the laws were unfair and resolved to do whatever she could to change them. She used her unique ability to draw from wide-ranging sources in legal areas as well as in political and literary areas. With her knowledge of literature, he created narratives that produced a variety of emotions ranging from delight to destruction.
Catharine Sedgwick’s novel, A New-England Tale, tells the story of an orphan, Jane Elton, who “fights to preserve her honesty and her dignity in a household where religion is much talked about but little practiced” (Back Cover). The story take place in the 1820s, a time when many children were suffering in silence due to the fact that there was really no way to get people to understand exactly how bad things were for them. The only way anyone could ever really get a true understanding of the lives of the children in these households would be by knowing what took place in their homes. Outside of the home these women seemed perfectly normal and there was not reason to suspect any crookedness. The author herself was raised by a woman of Calvinist religion and realized how unjust things were for her and how her upbringing had ultimately play at role on her outcome. Sedgwick uses her novel, A New-England Tale to express to her readers how dreadful life was being raised by women of Calvinist religion and it’s affect by depicting their customary domestic life. She takes her readers on an in deep journey through what a typical household in the 1820s would be like providing them with vivid descriptions and reenactments of the domestic life during this period.
Elizabeth’s dedication to women 's rights sometimes created a tiff in her marriage but, that was completely unknown to many, “Elizabeth kept silent while her husband was having a grand old time in the thick of things. But whatever arguments the couple engaged remained between them (89). Not only did the women 's rights cause problems in her marriage it also created problems in many other relationships. Elizabeth Cady Stanton continuously pushed boundaries like with her fashion, “That spring Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Amelia Bloomer had traded in their cumbersome attire for the “‘Bloomer costume”’ and thus made the dress reform” (80). Her family was apposed to her wearing fants they were so upset by it that some did not even want to talk to her or be around her while she wore bloomers. She didn’t mind causing an uproar or being judged and ridiculed constantly. She did what ever it took to make a stand and do what was needed to succeed. During this time period of the mid 1800s and beyond that, Elizabeth would be considered a “maverick”. Though there were many women, and a select few men who actively participated in the movement of women 's rights, most people did not stand up for what they believed in, or did not have the literary needed to express themselves, and some were even opposed to what Elizabeth and other reformers were doing. The majority of people did not help the womens rights movement, making it a out of the social norm to be a part of. Elizabeth was one of the few that spoke up for what she believed in, and never let societies view put her down or make her feel inferior to men. Being the one to stand up and create a change is a difficult thing to do, it takes confidence and aspiration that Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Anne Hutchinson challenged the traditional role of women in the Puritan society through her opposing religious beliefs. Anne Hutchinson was most likely not the first woman to have her own thoughts. She was simply the first to act on them. Anne Hutchinson was born on or about July17, 1591 in Alford, Licolnshire, England. She was the daughter of Reverend Francis Marbury. Rev. Marbury spoke out that many of the ordained ministers in the Church of England were unfit to guide people's souls. For this act of defiance, he was put in jail for one year. Anne read many of her father's books on theology and religion. Much of Anne's independence and willingness to speak out was due to her father's example. Anne admired her father for his defiance of traditional church principles. Then in 1612 she married William Hutchinson. Together they had 15 children. In 1634 she and her husband moved to Boston. Here Anne began holding informal church meetings in her home discussing the pastor's services and also preaching her beliefs to her followers. Threatened by meetings she held in her Boston home, the clergy charged Hutchinson with hersey. An outspoken female in a male hierarchy, Hutchinson had little hope that many would speak in her defense, and she was being tried by the General Court. In 1636 she was charged with hersey and banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony. Several years later when she moved to New York she was killed in an Indian attack. Anne challenged the Puritan clergy.
They were rebellious, even though they were watched closely by their masters and were isolated from each other. Throughout history, many women tried to change the role of women in society. For example, Anne Hutchinson was a religious woman that opposed the church fathers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by saying "that she, and other ordinary people, could interpret the Bible for themselves." She started to hold big meetings for women (and even a few men came) to hear her criticize local ministers. She was put on trial twice for two separate reasons, but she still stood her ground. The first trial was by the church for heresy and the other was by the government for questioning their authority. Eventually, she was banished in 1638 from the colony. However, this didn 't stop future women from trying to gain independence from traditional values and
The Abolitionist Movement transformed the role of women in American History. Prior to the abolitionist movement, women were viewed as invisible icons in society. A typical woman would only be responsible for motherhood duties, cleaning, and preparing food. While many women agreed with this, others did not. The desire to be heard and treated equally was something numerous women shared. Astonishing women like, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Grimke sisters became prominent leaders in the abolitionist movement and made a pathway in history by initiating speeches, participating in female politics and supporting their personal opinions of women’s rights through religious doctrines.
interest in religion and theology. Add to this the influence of John Cotton, and the
Anne Bradstreet starts off her letter with a short poem that presents insight as to what to expect in “To My Dear Children” when she says “here you may find/ what was in your living mother’s mind” (Bradstreet 161). This is the first sign she gives that her letter contains not just a mere retelling of adolescent events, but an introspection of her own life. She writes this at a very turbulent point in history for a devout Puritan. She lived during the migration of Puritans to America to escape the persecution of the Catholic Church and also through the fragmentation of the Puritans into different sects when people began to question the Puritan faith.
...r equality of women whose only representation at the time was through husbands. The brave few who courageously fought in the movement reformed our country and society today. Women such as Alice Paul and Susan B Anthony not only brought on equality for women today these women also brought on a new way women thought towards themselves. Today women think of themselves as independent smart citizens who can be whoever they want to be, politicians, doctors, scientists, etc. In addition women today can wear what they choose. Along with the right of equality and the ability for women to vote there is a responsibility, women should be informed of the political candidates before they vote. All of the freedom we have is a privilege we often take for granted as we don’t think about those women who suffered, abused, and ridiculed for these rights that we have today.
In her autobiography, “The Life of an Ordinary Woman, Anne Ellis describes just that; the life of an ordinary woman. Ellis reveals much about her early—ordinary if you will—life during the nineteenth-century. She describes what daily life was like, living a pioneer-like lifestyle. Her memoir is ‘Ordinary’ as it is full of many occurrences that the average woman experiences. Such as taking care of her children, cleaning, cooking the—world’s greatest—meals. It also contains many themes such as dysfunctional families, insensitive men, and negligent parents that are seen in modern life. The life of Anne Ellis is relatable. Her life is relatable to modern day life, however, very different.
Feminism today remains prominent because even while women’s rights are very strong, women are still fighting for equality every day. In the time of Anne Bradstreet, women had few rights and they were seen as inferior to men. Anne lived among the puritans whom ruled her everyday life. Although it was against the puritan code for women to receive an education, Bradstreet’s father, Thomas Dudley, loved his daughter dearly and made sure that she was well educated which shows in her works. Anne Bradstreet’s literature became well known only because her family published her works under a male name. This was done because writing poetry was a serious offense to the puritans since poetry was considered creative and the only creating that was done was by God. In the works of Anne Bradstreet, she conveys a feminist attitude, and could very well be one of the first American Feminists.