The notion of femininity, along with the idea of the female gender role, has substantially changed in the last century. During the early twentieth century, women were subjected to stay within household and were apart of society to clean, raise children, and prepare meals for their families. Any woman noticed pushing the domestic convention of the period was harshly ridiculed and always reminded of her inferiority within the "man's world". The twentieth century was a century dominated by a patriarchal society; women were viewed as a human subtype and their voices were disregarded and unheard. The term "feminism" is defined as females receiving the same societal opportunities and treatment as men. Although women's rights movements took force during the latter half of the twentieth century, women still face the sad reality of unequal political, economical, and social treatment. Feminism took full force during the twentieth century through the use of film, music, and especially literature. Several brave female writers came forth during this period, to speak out against their oppression through the means of poetry, the application of atypical female characters, and the use of symbolism embodying monarchy and oppressive patriarchy. This essay will demonstrate and examine how the selected works of Sylvia Plath, Diane Di Prima, and Suzanne Collins, challenge the standard depiction of the twentieth century's female gender roles by defying the patriarchal belief of women's domestic position within society. .
Sylvia Plath became known as a feminist writer through her poems that exposed patriarchal oppression. In her poem titled "Lady Lazarus," Plath exploits the viciousness of her male dominator as he makes a spectacle of repeatedly pulling her back to life after her suicide attempts. .
A sort of walking miracle, my skin.
Bright as a Nazi Lampshade, .
My right foot.
A paperweight,.
