Evolution of Women in Texts

Women have been represented in all sorts of ways throughout time, and it's fascinating thing to see how these representations have evolved with the changes in society
While some female archetypes are seen over and over again, in the form of the femme fatale or Mary Sue it is still interesting to see how different women in books have evolved over time.
As someone who reads - a lot - many different types of women have been portrayed to me in books I've read, and it's cool to see both how much the representations have changed and stayed the same.
For example, there have been women categorized as "feminist" in texts for quite some time. Characters ranging from Lizzie Bennet to Hermione Granger are called "feminists" because of both their actions and dialogue in their respective texts. It is a very positive thing, especially for young female readers, that women are being portrayed correctly and as whole characters.

Image result for harry potter book cover

However, it is longer still that women have been devalued and objectified in texts, especially regarding their position in the home and the representation of femininity.
Examples of this can be seen in movies such as Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937).
Image result for snow white and the seven dwarfs

Image result for snow white and the seven dwarfs

Snow White's primary role in the film is as homemaker, which isn't necessarily the ideal representation of women for young audiences.
Progress has been made though, as seen in recent films such as Disney's Moana.

I look forward to seeing more examples of the evolution of women in text over time, and learning more about this in the course to come.

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