Anne Bradstreet Research Paper

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Life in the early Colonial era was hard for those whom had to endure it. During the 17th century, the roles of women in society at that time highly depended on your wealth, religion as well as your status. There were many roles depending on your status one could take on from being a typical puritan woman to being an indentured servant. For poet Anne Bradstreet, in ways she was a very typical 17th century woman nevertheless she paved the way for many women to come following that era. The prime roles of women in a Puritan society were to first and foremost be wives and mothers and to provide for their families as well as their everyday needs. Women were expected to execute tasks from making clothing for the family and cooking meals to teaching…show more content…
Members of the Puritan society understood that all men and women were not equal. Men were given dominion over their families, ministers and church leaders exercised authority over communities, and women ruled over children and servants. A woman’s power came from her position in the community due to her husband’s social status, her personal character, and her roles as a wife, mother, and church member. Bradstreet’s social authority comes from her role as a daughter and wife of two Massachusetts leaders and wealthiest men, not her own talents for writing. (Feminist themes, 18th paragraph) The Tenth Muse was published in London which made Anne the first female poet to ever become published in both America and England. Because writing was not considered as acceptable for women at that time. Anne received a lot of backlash for her work. “One of the most prominent figures of her time, John Winthrop, happened to be among her critics. He mentioned in his journal that Bradstreet should have kept to being a housewife and left writing and reading for men whose minds are stronger." (Early Modern Women's Writing, p.

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