The female figure has graced the pages of literature since the beginning of history. In some cases, women were praised and appreciated for their maternal abilities and moral righteousness. The Virgin Mary appeared in the Bible as the symbol of a woman of faith, courage, humility, praise and prayer. Women are often mentioned in the Bible as being the most influential and strong-willed. In the epic poem “Beowulf,” Grendel’s mother is portrayed as a strong, evil-fighting woman. Yet, with the superiority of men, women are also looked down upon and deprived of several rights of passage and freedoms. During the Puritan era, women were considered useful only for their domestic abilities and their ability to procreate. Over time, many exceptional women have worked to gain their own rights and fight for equality with men. A crucial element of every women's rights movement is the direct perspective of a poet or author. They are the ones who can eloquently summarize the struggles they face every day. Sometimes these passionate and talented writers come from wealthy families and homes but still manage to tell a story of oppression. Inspirational words come from women who experience constant distress about being misunderstood as a woman. Courageous women who can break social standards and norms of society are the leaders towards freedom for all women. The freedoms that women achieved in society coincided with the development of women's writings and subjects throughout the literary periods of Puritanism, Romanticism, and Realism. The Puritan era is defined by strict moral standards as well as the restrictions placed on women, apparent in literature, reflecting the time period. Women were considered inferior to men and held back... middle of paper ... and writers like Emily Dickinson, Margaret Fuller, and Louisa May Alcott. Transcendental principles provided these women with an environment conducive to writing, but when they were made public, a harsh reception disconcerted the women. These women are leading the movement so that women's literature is recognized among men's literature. In the realist era, the personal lives of Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman motivated their nonfiction and fiction. Women were still considered inferior to men, and this was reflected in the reception of these women's works. Only today are they respected as established feminist writers. Yet they have shown great courage as activists for women's causes and have taken great strides to contribute to what we are moving forward. Progress in acceptance of women may be slow, but the struggles faced by great female literary figures deserve to be honored..