A woman’s perspective in literature
When Jo March emerged on Little Women pages with her restlessness, bravery and desire to write, she meant something rare and different from what was considered normal from her time. She is a female character written by a woman that refused to accept the society roles that were imposed on her. Ever since, a lot of different female voices started to rise and talk about their own dreams, interests and portray women from their point of view.
Something that used to be done by a man, but when women write about women, what emerges are portraits closer to the truth and further from convenience.
Women as writers on history
For a long time, writing was an area dominated by men. When women started to portray their words into literature, the only way they could be taken seriously and valued was using men’s names instead of their own. Utilizing pseudonyms, and keeping their true identities a secret, was a way to write and not suffer prejudice about it.
This prejudice originated from the belief that writing was not a social role for women, so by engaging in it, they were considered intruders in a male-dominated domain. If women didn’t write under pseudonyms, they were expected to focus solely on topics deemed “women’s issues” by a patriarchal society, such as the home, motherhood, and domestic duties. As a result, many women preferred to adopt male names in their publications.
In the 20th century, numerous feminist movements became more prominent, and one of the key struggles was the fight for the right to write with greater autonomy and freedom, tackling a wide range of themes. This shift brought out deeper, more complex female characters shaped by life experiences that only women could relate to, as well as emotions unique to their perspectives.
This idea is highlighted in the 1984 New York Times article “Women who write are women” which emphasizes that writing by women possesses a distinct emotional depth because of their personal experiences. It asserts that, when women write about other women, they create a world not just of representation, but also of an intimate and intricate relationship, something men, no matter how skilled, have yet to fully capture in literature.
As a result, various influential works have shaped societal views and feminist ideas that remain relevant today, such as Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” (1949), which proposed that the condition of women is a product of social and historical development, introducing the concept that women have the power to reinvent themselves and challenge the societal roles imposed on them from an early age.
In the contemporary world where feminine writing is getting more visibility and action every day, women feel more encouraged to give voice to their experiences, views of the world, literature and poetry. Their work expands borders that were socially and politically institutionalized and can portray any type of theme with freedom and depth.
With the advances of technology, womens’ stories get other spaces to be shared. Platforms like Instagram, personal blogs and even TikTok are often used to publish and gain visibility of their voices. An example of this use is when Canadian poet and writer Rupi Kaur gained international fame by sharing her poems in very accessible ways, featurig short verses about feminism, trauma, identity and healing. Her online success led to bestselling books like Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers. In other words, social media can democratize literature and give women influence.
The Male Gaze
This theory created by Laura Mulvey discusses how the visual arts and the literature in its majority views the world from a masculine perspective. The role of the woman in those works are specifically to attract and please the male readers, from body prescription to their personalities, how they should behave, wear, and even talk towards men. Everything is written from a man’s idea of women.
In Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, the protagonist, Emma Bovary is often described as a stereotype that men can have of women, the hysterical woman, who basically remains an emotionally unstable, dreamer and sexually awakened woman. Emma is constantly frustrated and becomes unqualified by her overreactions and sensibility, her body was always objectified and described as sensual, and her personality was considered impulsive and desperate. She ends up being punished for transgressing social limits imposed on women, which reinforces the idea that stepping outside the “ideal female role” leads to ruin.
Another stereotype created in literature by men to capture exaggerated features of women is the infamous Femme Fatale. This term originated from the French meaning “deadly woman” or “lethal woman”, and is used to nominate women that use their charm, extreme beauty and even sexual desire from men to achieve her goals and success. For instance, former stories about mermaids that use their prettiness to lure men in the sea and kill them can be considered Femme Fatales.
Therefore, women in stories written by men are rarely portrayed as fully developed individuals with their own dreams, experiences, and goals. Instead, they are often filtered through the male gaze and reduced to objects of desire or narrative tools meant to serve the male protagonist’s journey. Their personalities lack depth, and their roles are shaped by exaggerated stereotypes like “the hysterical woman” or the Femme Fatale, rather than authentic human complexity.
When Women read Women: The Impact of Identification and Representation
The rise of complex female characters is closely linked to the increase of female writers throughout history, who bring their own perspectives to literature. This shift has influenced not only literary works, but also the lives of readers who identify with these stories.
As Roxane Gay states in Bad Feminist:
“If people cannot be flawed in fiction there’s no place left for us to be human.”
This statement highlights that contemporary female characters are no longer idealized or flawless, but represent the multifaceted realities of women’s lives. Moreover, strong female protagonists often serve as role models, inspiring women to embrace strength, independence, and individuality. One notable example is Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.
Katniss has been widely recognized for challenging traditional female stereotypes in young adult literature. According to a study published by Briar Black, this character has empowered many young women by portraying resilience and leadership in the face of adversity.
Representing strong and smart women opens space for self-recognition, specially for young readers, and seeing women take control of their narratives can contribute to a stronger sense of identity, confidence, and autonomy. When women write about women, they create inspirations and affect directly on other women to stand up for themselves.
Current and Diverse Voices
The feminine presence in current writing is characterized by a multiplicity of perspectives that were once neglected. Nowadays, writers write about ethnicity, their personal fights and struggles.
In television, Sex and the City (SATC) played a significant role in changing the narrative around female representation. As one of the first mainstream shows to center on female friendship, career ambitions, and personal desires, it offered a new perspective on single women in their 30s and 40s living in New York City. Originally created by a woman and based on Candace Bushnell’s book, the series presented characters with distinct personalities, flaws, and goals, contributing to a more humanized and relatable portrayal of women.
The protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw, is a columnist who writes about modern relationships, intimacy, and urban life, often drawing from her own experiences and those of her close friends. The characters’ diversity in lifestyle and values encouraged identification among viewers, while also sparking debates on femininity, sexuality, and independence. Beyond its entertainment value, Sex and the City influenced fashion trends, social behavior, and even publishing, contributing to a rise in books exploring similar themes. The show has since become a point of reference in academic and cultural discussions about the role of women in the media.
Besides printed books, women around the world have been exploring and standing out in different types of narrative forms, like podcasts, webcomics, newsletters, audiobooks and even fanfictions. These formats are more accessible and attractive to young women nowadays because of the distribution made by social networks, and have the ability to become a both sided conversation. Communication is no longer made by someone and read by the other, it is something that can be made from both sides of the screen, bringing the public closer to the authors.
The form that is being more recognized is female literary podcasts. Programs like “Women Who Write” or “The Guilty Feminist” discuss themes like identity, feminism and writing working like dialog platforms where authors talk about their own experiences and have influence on young minds.
Contemporary women’s writing is now strongly associated with freedom of expression, authenticity, and emotional depth. These voices are not uniform. Instead, they evolve alongside the writers and audiences, offering dynamic, multifaceted narratives that reflect the changing realities of women around the world.
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The article above was edited by Sarah Pizarro.
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