American Journey Toward Female Equality with and Through Adrienne Rich's Works

What initially triggered my writing a thesis on the feminist movement in America was the question, "Will women ever truly achieve equality?" Further, will all humanity ever achieve equality? I found through the movement toward equality for women that any movement toward equality progresses toward equality for all because if one group only wants to be equal with others, then they want others to have equality as well. This thesis surveys the feminist movement in America from the 1950's to the 1990's through the realm of the works of Adrienne Rich, American female poet. Rich's progression as a political feminist poet becomes a microcosm of the overall female journey toward equality. This piece also explores endeavors made by others that parallel Rich's venture. Through this survey of the American movement toward an equalitarian society from the 50's to the present, one finds that women and other oppressed Americans have come far in having equal standing in society, but what Rich and others find is that equality still does not truly exist in all public nor private domains, yet especially in private realms. The need for further change, in addition to laws and status, is the inherited cultural thought that women and minorities are somehow inferior to the Caucasian male. This pervading idea is a part of our history books, and until it becomes just that—history—then the movement to eradicate its presence, even in our subconscious minds, has to continue. We are all of the human race, and we are all born equally and freely into this world; thus, we all deserve to live freely and be treated equally. When freedom is truly felt and lived by all, then the pace toward equality will finally cross the finish line.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of English

Year

1999

Author dc:creator

• Scruggs, Shelby

• English Language and Literature

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/756

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-1759