M-Mailakais

Review on my bibliography text:

The nineteenth century saw the emergence of several prominent female literary figures who wrote about the inequality of the sexes and the inability of women to live their own lives without reliance on men; Glaspell, who struggled with similar themes and concerns, inherited a rich legacy from these women. The end of the nineteenth century saw the emergence of many female writers which dealt with issues similar to those that would concern Glaspell. The focus of most of this literature was on "women and their lives--or, in other words . . . they chose to write about themselves" Kate Chopin and Fanny Fern represent two writers who are a part of this rich history. In her works, Chopin was concerned with exploring "relationships among . . . various classes and, especially, relationships between men and women" (Skaggs 635) Chopin’s favorite theme was "the inherent conflict between the traditional requirement that a wife form her life around her husband’s and a woman’s need for discrete personhood . . ." Indeed, the works of Chopin and Fern helped pave the way for other female writers such as Glaspell.

In addition to the influence of the female writers who came before her, the venue of the Provincetown Players served to mature Glaspell as a writer. The Players became a major artistic influence of the time, and also a major influence in Glaspell’s life, giving her a forum and voice for her ideas and introducing her to new people and new thoughts. Her husband, George Cook, also a member of the players, introduced her to new ways of thinking: "she had met Cook and was pulled into the world of socialism, a concern with women's suffrage, and a more realistic apprehension of the world around her--a new vision--which was expressed in her second novel, //The Visioning// (1911)" (Bigsby 6). The Players also helped Glaspell mature; Bigsby suggests that "in Susan Glaspell it [Provincetown Players] produced a writer much more accomplished than her present dwindled reputation would suggest . . ." (20). Bigsby notes that Glaspell wrote eleven of the ninety-three plays produced by the Players (20). The Provincetown Players greatly influenced Glaspell by connecting her to new people and ideas, by maturing her as a writer, and by providing her an avenue for expression.