Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), writer and lecturer, provided philosophical guidance to the feminist movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, During a career spanning the years 1890 to 1935 she published eleven books, wrote articles for popular magazines, and lectured throughout the United States and Europe. Between 1909 and 1916 she wrote, edited, and published a monthly magazine entitled The Forerunner. Gilman's efforts dealt primarily with the status of women, but she described herself as a humanist rather than a feminist. She explained that her interest in women arose from a concern that, as one-half of humanity, their restricted role in society retarded human progress. Thus, Gilman's contribution to feminism must be viewed within the context of her humanist philosophy. Gilman's contribution to feminism lies in her diagnosis of woman's predicament as ideological rather than political and, hence, subject to self-resolution. The uniqueness of Gilman's approach is in the autonomous nature of her solution: Woman, through the full use of her human powers, could achieve the equality that decades of political agitation had failed to accomplish. The rationale for this dissertation lies in the premise that Gilman's humanist approach to feminism made a significant contribution in her own day and offers insight into women's present status.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc331566 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Potts, Helen Jo |
| Contributors | Scroggs, Jack B., 1919-, Owsley, Richard M., Painter, William E., Campbell, Randolph B., 1940- |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | iv, 423 leaves, Text |
| Coverage | United States - Texas |
| Rights | Public, Potts, Helen Jo, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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