Ellen Glasgow’s Outlook Expressed in Her Essay Feminism

Abstract

Ellen Glasgow’s essay Feminism appeared in New York Times in November 1913. Following her previous interview-article No Valid Reason against
Giving Votes to Women, published a few months earlier in the same newspaper, Glasgow continues explaining what, in her opinion, feminism is.
In Feminism, Glasgow gives attempt to disclose the meaning of the term “liberation”, which appeared first in No Valid Reason. With this purpose,
Glasgow goes back in history and discusses some examples of English literature dealing with ‘womanly woman’, criticizing them, followed by analysis
of contemporaneous authors bringing new insight to the concept. The purpose of the present article is to show that, as the perception of ‘womanly
woman’ evolves into more reasonable understanding of natural woman, it is the emerging movement of feminism, which, according to Glasgow, can
restore balance in disturbed woman—man relationship.
Keywords: Equality, feminism, ‘womanly woman’