The Representation of American Women in Literature Never Changes Over the past thirty decades, women have become secondary to the male population. American women have since sought to challenge and change this norm. We have had enough of oppression and mistreatment! Slowly but surely, women worked to take a stand against prejudice and embrace American values ​​of freedom and equality. Although women's rights have advanced, we have not yet been treated equally with American men, especially in literature. While reading The Awakening, I am amazed by the limited role of women in the late 1800s. We see the protagonist Edna Pontellier, a mother of two, living in the Victorian era. Her husband at the time was a businessman who provided for the family. Her main job was the “mother role”. This role includes cleaning the house, cooking, looking after the children, but most importantly catering for her husband. Edna's confidence is seen throughout the book, she is tired of being conformist and changes her lifestyle. “Even as a child, she had lived her own little life all by herself. Very early on, she had learned in an instructive way the double life, this exterior existence which conforms, the interior life which questions” (Chopin, Kate. “Chapter 7.” The Awakening. New York: Avon, 1972. N. pag. Print. Edna ends up committing suicide, you could say it's a heartbreak but it's a true sign of her integrity. To me, her death was symbolic for the simple fact that she died content. She was tired of being unhappy, the man she really wanted to be with, Robert was afraid to commit to her. Robert was afraid of what his peers would think and denounced his love for Edna. Unlike Edna, Tennessee Will... middle of paper ...... but there are also strong women who truly embody Edna. these women who try to be like Edna, to do what makes them happy, to live for themselves, are the women we talk about the most. They are the ones who end up remembering. Even though women's rights have progressed, to be honest as a woman, I believe we will always have to prove ourselves. By this I mean that women will be considered inferior to men. It’s up to us, the women of America, to put a stop to this. Not just in real life, but also in the way we women are represented: in literature, on television, on the Internet, etc. Our time is late! Women don't need to be masculine to prove they are strong. All women are different, no two are alike. The sole goal of each of them is to take a stand against prejudice and embrace the beautiful American values ​​of freedom and equality..