Conversation: Women's Roles Then & Now



Conversation: Women's Roles Then & Now

Introduction

Below is the conversation between two notable women from the nineteenth century. They are Margaret Fuller (1810 -1850), the American journalist and the teacher, and Merry Shelley (1797 -1851), an English writer. Both women are writers and eminent figures in their fields. Their conversation will show that how their literary work brought a cultural change for the women of their time. In the course of their contribution, they did face some resistance from the socio-economic forces of the society. They successfully countered that resistance and continued their artistic efforts to mould the world for the woman of the nineteenth century as well as women for the next generations to come.

Fuller and Shelley meet at the convention center in New York, where they have been invited to read their papers on the role of women in the nineteenth century. Before the start of the seminar, they are sitting in the cafeteria, and having a conversation over present status of women, and what role a woman must play to work with shoulder to shoulder with men.

Conversation

Margaret Fuller: Great to see you, Ms. Shelley. Hope, you're doing good!

Merry Shelley: Yeah, thanks. Good to see you too, Ms. Fuller. So, we are here again to speak on the role of women. We have written many words to change the perception about the existence of women, but all is going in vain.

Margaret Fuller: Well, you are right to some extent, but history shows that nations take centuries to adopt any change. Our struggle might not be fruitful for us; it may pave the path for women in the next generations. Look being American women, human rights activist, writer, teacher and a journalist, responsibility falls on my shoulder to play my role ...