Classics often get lumped into the boring and difficult-to-read stereotype. I disagree — these books are filled with insightful life experiences and unique perspectives. There’s a reason classic books are still talked about today: they offer timeless advice, go in-depth about human nature, and have undoubtedly influenced modern literature and media.
I’ve learned to love the art of reading and cherish the written word of the classics, but I want to highlight prominent female authors of classic novels to celebrate Women’s History Month. These women shaped history through their pens, forever impacting modern works and defying stereotypes of what women can and can’t do.
- Passing by Nella Larsen
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With the transition from Black History Month in February to Women’s History Month in March, Passing by Nella Larsen is an important work to highlight. In the novel, Larsen writes about the struggles of being a ‘passing’ black woman married to a racist white man and her struggle with self-identity. Set in the 1920s, the novella highlights the obstacles of American racism and assimilation to discuss intersectionality and race.
Larsen was influenced by the Harlem Renaissance Era, which criticized race and promoted a more inclusive society. Passing led to her being the first African-American woman to receive the Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing her to work on her third book.
- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
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Octavia E. Butler is a pioneer of the dystopian and social issues genre: in her novel Kindred, there are science fiction elements, yet the overall work is more of a historical fiction set in the early 19th century. Showcasing how deep-rooted racism runs through our society, Butler balances the violence that occurred at the time with narrations of injustices.
Labeled the “mother of Afrofuturism,” Butler was an influential author in her discussion of social justice, gender stereotypes, environmentalism, and white privilege in her works. In 1995, she became the first science fiction author to win the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. Alongside this novel, I highly recommend her as an author, and her environmentalism dystopian works Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
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The Handmaid’s Tale is one of my favorite books of all time. A dystopian novel set in 2005, the plot of Margaret Atwood’s hit novel discusses women’s rights and discrimination in a futuristic world where the Republic of Gilead replaces the United States. The Handmaid’s Tale has been heavily discussed in modern politics and government due to the similarities between the book and reality.
Atwood is a Canadian writer and poet and is known for her advocacy for feminism, environmentalism, and social justice, as seen through her myriad of works. Winning a multitude of awards for her novels and poetry, including the Booker Prize and the Governor General’s Award, Atwood is acclaimed for her writing and her social advocacy.
If you’ve previously read the book or end up reading it, you can join HCFSU and the Women’s Student Union at FSU for Books in Bloom on March 18. During the event, both organizations are collaborating to host a book club discussion about The Handmaid’s Tale.
- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
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Published in 1920, Edith Wharton created a feminist love story in the Gilded Age by including a male protagonist internally struggling with feminist ideals. Wharton wrote The Age of Innocence to express her feminist thoughts on the flaws and suffering of the upper class during the 19th century, and this novel won her the honor of being the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Wharton was born in 1862, a time when women weren’t supposed to have a purpose beyond getting married and being devoted mothers. Regardless, this did not stop her from writing, and she ended up writing 40 books in 40 years.
Living in Paris, France, during World War I, Wharton created a network of charitable organizations and dedicated herself to witnessing the realities of war. She also received the French Legion of Honor for her charity and humanitarian work.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
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Little Women is a brilliant movie and an even better book. Reading this novel reminds any woman that they should pursue their passions despite gender norms, a theme narrating the protagonist’s transformation from childhood to womanhood in the book.
Louisa May Alcott wrote this novel based on her sisters; however, during the Civil War, her efforts shifted from writing to nursing. Alcott worked as a nurse at a makeshift hospital in Washington, DC, assisting dying soldiers and doctors with operations. Unfortunately, after contracting typhoid disease, her career as a nurse ended, and Alcott returned to the world of writing.
In addition to being an author and nurse, Alcott was a pioneer in fighting for women’s rights. It’s said that she would go door-to-door campaigning for women’s suffrage in Massachusetts. Writing women’s periodicals, Alcott devoted much of her time to the movement and became the first female voter in Concord, Connecticut, in the 1870s.
While many of these works have been adapted to film, I’m a book lover at heart, and I believe that it’s much more rewarding to read books. These accomplished and inspiring women fought for what they believed in through the written word, solidifying their place in the literary world. Not only are these books well-written with an admirable cause to spread, but the women behind them pushed the boundaries of gender norms for women today.
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