People have this idea that classics are stuffy, outdated, and conservative. This is a falsity. Many classic novels, no matter how old, are full of radical characters that question the conventions of traditional society — especially women. These courageous classic novels all contain feminist messages that examine the role of women and the constraints under which they’re confined. Read on for a selection of some of these powerful stories.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
When Helen Graham and her son move into Wildfell Hall, Gilbert Markham becomes captivated by the reclusive and reserved woman. The two strike up a friendship. But when Helen becomes the target of unrelenting gossip and criticism from the town, Gilbert begins to doubt his relationship with the secretive woman. The mystery of Helen’s past finally comes to light when she lets Gilbert read her personal diary. What follows is a story of resilience and strength, the tale of one woman’s navigation of domestic turmoil and freedom.
The Brontë sisters are literary geniuses, famous for their strong female heroines. Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is perhaps the most overtly feminist of the sisters’ works.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Edna Pontellier is poised to be the ideal Victorian woman. She’s a traditional housewife, married with a child. However, she refuses to be confined by this identity. Edna’s free spirit attempts to break free from the shackles of society through sexual liberation. This novel follows one woman’s search for her own identity and bodily autonomy in the restrictive and conservative society of America’s South.
Orlando by Virginia Woolf
This radically original and gender fluid novel depicts one poet’s escapades throughout time as they change genders while meeting important figures and as they experience different historical moments. This wild ride of a story is difficult to summarize, but fans of Woolf will recognize her signature themes, including feminism, gender, queerness, writing, class, and imagination.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Janie Crawford is on a mission to be her own person. She is attempting to carve out her own path in life, but it’s not going to be easy, especially as a black woman in her thirties. Janie’s quest for love and happiness is told through her three separate marriages. Janie endures abuse, racism, and sexism, with her inner strength guiding her through these struggles. Her penchant for hope and individualistic identity remain intact, and she soon learns to come into her own.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Emma Bovary is desperate to break free from the routine and dreary reality of provincial life. An idealistic dreamer, she is unfulfilled by her simple marriage to Charles, an uninteresting doctor. The romantic in her goes wild, and she finds herself living well above her means, lavishly and passionately. Emma is a flawed and at times unlikeable character, but her refusal to succumb to the traditional gender expectations of her time is admirable.
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Isabel Archer has her life mapped out for her. The charming and vivacious American is supposed to marry after she is brought to Europe by a wealthy relative. But Isabel wants to live life for herself, and refuses to succumb to this idea of a preconceived fate. She shocks society when she rejects offers of marriage from two eligible suitors, but Isabel seeks something more. She thinks she’s found her future in the face of Gilbert Osmond. The man appears to be the picture of amiability, but he is suppressing his true self — a dangerous and violent self. What follows is painful emotional turmoil, and the important lesson on what it means to live a life of freedom.
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Though unmarried, the stunning and much-adored Lily Bart has a comfortable space in the upper-echelons of New York society. In the rivalry between new and old money that was the hallmark of the Gilded Age, she finds herself accepted by both sides. But as she grows older, her privileged life becomes threatened. Seeking to protect her lifestyle and social capital, she must wed. Though she’s caught the eye of suitors before, finding a conventionally suitable match proves to be a difficult task, and her flouting of convention leads to tragedy.
There are many lessons to be learned by these tenacious, unconventional, and resilient women who dared to live outside the expectations of society. Next time someone criticizes classics for being traditional, try telling them about these stories which critique gender roles and embrace feminism. These stirring stories make you realize that classics are classics for a reason. They continue to be socially relevant to a modern audience, no matter when they were written.
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