Feminism is defined as “the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes and organized activities on behalf of the rights and interests of women” (Merriam- Webster). This includes liberation from sexual, religious, legal and economic oppression as well as freedom from rigid gender roles, justified by the biological differences between men and women. These differences include, above all, the fact that women have children. This fact has had effects on the way women in the United States are expected to live and behave. Throughout this country's history, until around the 1960s, women were considered submissive to men. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Men are generally expected to be the “providers” of their families and women are expected to be the mothers, nurturers, cleaners, and cooks. (Blum 77). This harmful division between the sexes was put in place long ago by patriarchy, the effects of which can still be seen today in wage inequality, today's media, the glass ceiling and division current state of domestic work (Blum 83). ). However, the problems feminists face today are just a ripple effect of the mistreatment and oppression of women before and during the 19th century. Naturally, this would be reflected in the literature written about this period. This is the case of the novel Alias ​​​​Grace by Margaret Atwood. Through the personalities and actions of her characters, Atwood provides ample evidence of the necessity for the emergence of feminism during this time in United States history. In the 19th century, when the novel Alias ​​Grace is set, the feminist movement was just beginning to emerge in the United States of America. Nineteenth-century feminists had had enough and began to reject the Victorian image of the image and role of women that had been transmitted to the United States (Murdoch 124). The Victorian idea was that men were supposed to occupy the public sphere while women occupied the private sphere of life. This meant that men were expected to participate in discussions and activities related to work and politics, while women were expected to take care of the home and children (Murdoch 121). Based on biological differences between the sexes, and without regard to individual abilities or qualifications, men and women have been divided into two distinct and very distinct roles. Men became breadwinners and women became mothers, wives and servants. The emergence of feminism was a response that challenged this notion, and it was obviously met with a lot of resistance. Queen Victoria herself, at this time, denounced feminism, calling it "the mad, wicked folly of women's rights" in private letters to some of her correspondents (Murdoch 132). Nineteenth-century feminists, however, disagreed. In the United States, the first wave of feminism was comprised of a wide range of women from different backgrounds, from women from conservative Christian groups who embraced the cause to more diverse and radical feminists. Prominent feminist figures of this period included Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frances Willard, Matilda Joslyn Gage, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and the National Woman Suffrage Association. The first wave of feminism is considered to have ended with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the amendment that ultimately granted women theright to vote in the United States (Siegel). All of this activity was considered new and radical and was historically unprecedented. For the first time in American history, as in many other countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, and France, women were able to have their own voice instead of being forced to marry and remain subject to their own interests. their husbands (Siegel).The protagonist of Alias ​​Grace is a young woman named Grace Marks, who was convicted of murdering her former employer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery as well as James McDermott, who was also employed by Kinnear as a stable hand. Firstly, the fact that Grace's partner in crime, James McDermott, was executed by hanging for the murders and Grace was not, speaks volumes about how women were seen as fragile, easily influenced and inferior. to men. Although this idea serves Grace in the novel and even saves her life from execution, this ideology is harmful in that it halts the progress of women's equality and reinforces this way of thinking in women's minds , so they are less motivated to try to contribute. about change. When Grace begins to talk to Dr. Simon Jordan about her life, she mentions that her mother was often pregnant and that she had to deal with a father who didn't do much but drink (so we can only imagine that he there has been domestic violence). involved.) This reinforces the idea that women are supposed to have children and take care of the home, and is another example of how this novel illustrates the need for feminism at the time. There are many instances in which Grace is treated in such a way that sexism is brought up. Although this would have been considered "normal" in the era in which the novel is set, it leaves room for vast inequalities between the sexes. The character who most represents the need for feminism and almost a call to feminist action is Mary Whitney. . Mary Whitney is an incredibly strong female personality in the novel who strongly influences Grace during their time together in Parkinson's in Canada. Grace being from the type of family she had and finding herself without a strong female figure in her life after her mother died on the ship, Mary Whitney acts almost motherly towards her, teaching her to play the role of a servant. Grace states it directly: “Mary took me under her wing from the start” (Atwood 151). While Mary is teaching Grace, Grace notices that Mary is more daring and modern than most women at that time. For example, Mary was egalitarian and believed that they should "remember that they were not slaves and that being servants was not something they were born to do and that they would not be forced to continue to do it forever; it was just a job” (Atwood 157). This shows that Mary Whitney believed in the power of the self and that women had the ability and strength to build a better life for themselves without the help of men. This is reinforced by her plans to save her own money to pay a dowry and to marry by choice to become mistress of her own house, not because she needs a man to survive. This is an example of her taking initiative to start a comfortable life for herself; this is not an example of her feeling inferior or dependent on a man. Mary's influence in Grace can be seen during Grace's memory of the time Mary Whitney asked her if she would like to see the street where the whores lived. At first Grace was scared, but Mary told her there was nothing to fear, and Grace decided she was right and realized she was>.