The Woman Question

"The Story of an Hour" was published in 1894, during a period when numerous social and cultural issues were on Americans' minds. One such issue, known as the "Woman Question," centered on determining which roles were appropriate for women in society. Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species (1892) amplified this debate. Darwin's theory of evolution was interpreted in different ways; some believed it supported women's self-assertion and independence, while others argued it demonstrated that motherhood should be a woman's primary societal role.

Although women did not secure the right to vote until 1920, the fight for their suffrage began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York. The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted voting rights to black men, was ratified in 1869. Several leading feminists, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, opposed the amendment because it excluded women. Other suffragists believed that women's enfranchisement would soon follow that of black men. In 1890, these two groups merged to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). That same year, Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote. While the suffrage movement pushed for change, mainstream Victorian culture still idealized the self-sacrificing wife, who was dependent on her husband and dedicated to her children, as the epitome of femininity.

1890s: The suffrage movement consolidates under the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Wyoming becomes the pioneering state to grant women the right to vote.

Today: Despite the failure to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982, women continue to achieve political and cultural autonomy. By 1988, more than 56 percent of women in the United States are employed.

1890s: Although more women than men are attending high school by 1890, higher education remains largely inaccessible to women. Employment options for women are limited to housekeeping, nursing, and elementary education.

Today: Educational and employment opportunities are nearly equal for men and women, though several issues regarding full equality persist.

1890s: Despite a few women writers finding success, it is generally deemed inappropriate for women to pursue writing careers. Louisa May Alcott and Sarah Orne Jewett are among the few who achieve both success and popularity.

Today: Numerous women writers from the late nineteenth century are being rediscovered, including Kate Chopin, who gained recognition during the women's movement of the 1960s.