The Norton Book of Women's Lives: Introduction

 Word Count: 522

From “Introduction” by Phyllis Rose

In this introduction, the editor briefly traces the growth of female ‘life writers’ in history and their importance. The women whose texts she picked were bold and through their boldness they allow for more and more women to open themselves up to this hope that they never believed was possible. 

As a young girl, she mentions she was seeking a role model but none existed that seemed to be worthy in their own right rather than worthy simply because of a marriage or because worthiness was given to them. Of course, these role models did exist however she simply did not have access to them like she would a male role model of the same qualifications. But she felt that the representation of women consisted of only what the public wanted to see of women, which was their proper side. She found she related to parts of it but she wanted to see wild women in action, because that is what she truly identified with. 

The first text that thrilled this part of the editor was the Diary of Anne Frank because not only was she a brilliant writer, she “was real, not a fictional creation. And she had written herself into being” (13). This was key in this diary’s influence because it was so important to women that there was a 15 year old girl who ‘wrote herself into being’. She was remembered because of and through her writing. It told women that they could have a voice and that is what began the influx of women writing about themselves. 

Even with only this example, the growth from having no relatable role models for women to women making a name for themselves through writing is evident, but she continues. In response to writer Simone de Beauvoir, Rose says “Merely to learn that this rebellious woman had once been a ‘dutiful daughter’ like many of the rest of us, was an inspiration” (13). These women were searching for hope of a life with the freedom to be who they want to be, to be different in a world that denies women that freedom. Yet once women started speaking up and actively trying to change this, it sparked a fire that often cannot be undone. 

One of the biggest changes she mentions is the fact that these strong, feisty women were only portrayed in fiction but suddenly there were stories of real women acting this way and it meant that readers saw that this was truly possible rather than being fed false hope through fiction. But it wasn't only white women, women of color, such as Anne Moody and Maya Angelou, also created these spaces for themselves and for their audience. This was even more important because the different types of women with different personalities all writing about their lives allowed for a variety of narratives and therefore more types of people would be able to relate to them and also in turn feel empowered by them because they spoke for them and “seemed to stretch out a hand” (19). 

Citations

Rose, Phyllis. The Norton Book of Women's Lives. W.W. Norton, 1995.