Introduction
Puritan literature has a substantial emphasis on gender roles and how men and women relate to God. Puritanism, at its core, is a religious movement, and most of its teachings revolve around Protestantism. There were multiple arguments among American Puritans in the XVI-XVII centuries and the main branch of religious movement in England. However, Puritan writers retained many literary tropes and religious subtexts in literature, resulting in explicit gender bias in their works. While female and male Puritans wrote about God, the former were considered rebels who opposed the latter’s conservative worldviews.
Female Puritan Writers
Puritan writers perceived the role and notion of women in literature in a specific way. One of the most notable female writers was Anne Bradstreet, who migrated to America with her family in 1630 (Farthing 29). Although her works were relatively progressive compared to many other literary pieces in Puritan literature, her understanding of a woman’s role was directly related to religious roots (Farthing 6). In other words, Bradstreet agreed that the female’s primary role was to provide care for her family and support her husband. Moreover, alongside Bradstreet, many female Puritan writers were educated and politically-informed people who fought against women being oppressed (Farthing 5). As a result, there was a sense of duality in female Puritan literature, and prominent writers demonstrated distaste for some aspects of Puritanism and content with other gender-related issues.
Despite Bradstreet’s support for traditional gender roles, many religious people still perceived her as a rebel. The primary reason for this development was that Puritan society was extremely oppressive toward women and advocated against their involvement in many areas of life (Harvey 193). One of the sentiments was, “Woman is not a person but a rhetorical position of subordination and subservience to God” (Harvey 193). Consequently, due to the oppressiveness of women’s roles in society, even Bradstreet’s appreciation of traditional roles was not sufficient to avoid criticism. As Farthing proposes, “Puritan women writers are labeled either wrathful rebels or submissive robots” (8). Bradstreet genuinely cared for her family and considered it to be her primary duty in life, but she also contributed multiple works to relieve women’s discrimination.
Furthermore, numerous women were forced to neglect any feminism-related issues in their texts. Farthing writes that “Female writers such as Lady Grace Mildmay <…> and Elizabeth Major either are made to subvert their cultural context or meekly shadow patriarchal authority” (5). There was a vivid conflict between the religious roots of Puritanism with traditional gender roles and the new model of society in America in the XVI-XVII centuries (Farthing 12). As a result, female Puritan writing was a combination of liberal perspectives on life and a more submissive position toward God and family.
The works by Anne Bradstreet serve as some of the brightest examples of Puritan literature by women. For instance, The Author of Her Books discusses a lack of the writer’s agency over her creation that was “snatched from thence by friends,” presenting disappointment and self-doubt (Bradstreet, “The Author”). In For Deliverance from a Fever, the writer explores her sickness while simultaneously questioning and expressing love for God (Bradstreet, “For Deliverance”). In contrast, Verses upon the Burning of Our House demonstrates the author’s complete devotion to Lord despite the loss of her home and all positions because God’s will “’twas just” (Bradstreet, “Verses”). Accordingly, Anne Bradstreet’s writing represents doubt in herself and dedication to Lord, whom she sometimes questions.
Male Puritan Writers
Puritan literature by women is a more heavily debated topic due to the differences in gender bias compared to modern literature. Nevertheless, male Puritan authors have also contributed to the development of Puritanism as a literary tradition. In contrast to female literature, male writers were on a more conservative side that aligned with the Church of England (Harvey 190). However, they understood female origin as a more spiritual connection, as opposed to individual and personal perception of women in female literature (Harvey 190). In a sense, male authors tended to dehumanize women, turning them into symbolic figures (Harvey 196). For instance, Edward Taylor and John Winthrop, Puritan writers and political activists, supported the idea of female “superiority” in a religious sense, stating that females have a closer connection to God (Harvey 210). Nevertheless, their works retained dismissive meanings for women as individuals that should have had the same social rights as males.
Examples of Puritan literature by male authors were created by Edward Taylor. For instance, in Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children, the writer discusses the matters of love as “A curious knot God made in Paradise” and death alongside grieving (Taylor, “Upon Wedlock”). The author expresses both happy and sad emotions, which reflect his perceptions of life, and demonstrates his readiness to give to God by stating, “I say, take, Lord, they are thine” (Taylor, “Upon Wedlock”). In Upon A Wasp Chilled with Cold, the writer describes “a wasp” that seems to represent a woman because the poet refers to the wasp as “her” and “she” (Taylor, “Upon A Wasp”). The author admires the creature but also exhibits his affection toward Lord and his efforts (Taylor, “Upon A Wasp”). Consequently, Edward Taylor’s works display his observations of life and love for God.
Similarities and Differences between Male and Female Writers
The common theme of God and traditional values persist in Puritan literature among male and female authors. It was the primary similarity between the two approaches in the XVI-XVII centuries. The differences mainly concerned the figurative language, the role of women in society, and the connection between God and female origin (Harvey 211). There were multiple reasons for this distinction, ranging from societal norms to religious roots in Protestantism. Moreover, Harvey notes that “Gender is likewise both policed and shaped through language,” implying that differences in the manner of speech between men and women in the XVII century also provoked gender bias (211). In summary, there were more differences between male and female Puritan literature, but most literary pieces focused on God and traditional values.
Conclusion
To summarize, Puritan writing by women and men often featured God, but the former frequently challenged various aspects of life by letting them voice their opinions. American society in the XVI-XVII centuries was vastly different from modern norms, and Puritan literature reflected these distinctions. There was an evident gender bias in the works of both male and female writers that connected to women’s roles in society. Moreover, the authors, primarily male writers, believed that females had a closer connection to God due to the concept of motherhood. This religious factor has further aggravated gender bias in Puritan literature, significantly shaping Puritan writing. In the XVII century, more female writers started to doubt the concept, but traditional values remained the primary topic. Ultimately, gender bias and the difference in societal roles between males and females had a substantial impact on Puritan literature.
Works Cited
Bradstreet, Anne. “For Deliverance from a Fever.”Poetry Nook, Web.
Bradstreet, Anne. “The Author to Her Book.”Poetry Foundation, Web.
Bradstreet, Anne. “Verses upon the Burning of Our House.”Poetry Foundation, Web.
Farthing, Sophia. Faith and Art: Anne Bradstreet’s Puritan Creativity. 2018. Liberty University, PhD dissertation.
Harvey, Tamara. “Gender.” A History of American Puritan Literature, edited by Kristina Bross and Abram Van Engen, Cambridge University Press, 2020, pp. 189-210.
Taylor, Edward. “Upon A Wasp Chilled with Cold.”Poem Hunter, Web.
Taylor, Edward. “Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children.”Poetry Foundation, Web.