From Margins to Canon: The Rise of Women Writers and the Transformation of English Literary Tradition

The evolution of English literature is closely linked to the cultural, social and political structures that prevailed when each work was drafted and published. Women were collectively excluded from formal education and public literacy for hundreds of years, which automatically placed them at a disadvantage in the literary canon. Nevertheless, women were steadily becoming authors of note who revolutionized types and topics in literature. This essay examines the emergence of women writers as a social institution in Medieval to 19th Century English literature, discussing invasive cultural norms influencing their authorship and demonstrating how social changes supported literary respectability. By examining powerful women-authored texts and feminist responses, it argues that women’s writing changed the course of English literature by inspiring a paradigm shift in both literary culture and wider society.