Feminist ideals in the woman on the edge of time Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time is a dichotomy of two worlds: a utopian and a distopian. Although the world of the future is utopian in many ways, e.g. Marxist, environmentalist, etc., Piercy seems to focus particularly on feminist issues. The two main characters, Connie and Luciente, are both women and are both products of their respective companies. It is through these two characters that Piercy reveals not only extrinsic societal traits, but also those that are only apparent in their bearing on individual social character. As both characters are women (by Piercy's choice), it is not strange that Piercy focuses on women's issues. Piercy uses the two women as windows into a feminist utopia and a feminist distopia. Connie's world, our own world, is distopia. Women, as a social group, are submissive. All the women we see in the present are weak and must rely on men who, with the exception of Skip (who is gay), seem to be in positions of power. Dolly relies heavily on Geraldo and later Vic, although they absolutely do it for her, and Luis enrolls Connie in the mental institution. The existence of traditional gender roles further stifles the characters. Women are exploited; Dolly is a prostitute and Connie becomes a laboratory experimenter. In the opening scene of the book, we find Connie in her apartment which consists of only two rooms: a bedroom and a kitchen, the traditional “places for women” where men exploit them. The fact that Connie was a secretary, was seduced, and is now doing housework only reinforces the idea of ​​enslavement. For feminists, women are/were a kind of “proletariat”. Piercy seems to echo this idea by considering one of Connie's papers...in the middle...sacred and they wouldn't consider it superfluous even for equality. In other words, many feminists don't think it's necessary to sacrifice it. Piercy also frees women from the burden of children and family, while many feminists would hardly consider these things to be burdens. Although Piercy definitely gives us a utopia, it is only one version. Connie herself wonders if certain aspects of Luciente's world, for example the birthing machines, are actually better. As we question the future world, we must also consider our world. How true or representative is Connie's situation? Certainly, these things happen, but is this world the distopia of all modern women? This work bleeds with idealism and ideology. This makes Woman on the Edge of Time a feminist novel – fasure! Works Cited: Piercy, Marge Woman on the Edge of Time Fawcett Crest: New York 1976.