Lina Lingard; Modern Woman

Modern Women

A modern woman is a woman who is not afraid to break away from traditional views. Women should be considered equal to men. It is the modern women of the early 1900s that have made it possible for girls today to have the jobs and privileges available today. It was not an easy mission, and many women chose not to stray from the traditional path. It took courage and a great deal of personal strength to help make these advances. In the book “My Antonia” by Willa Cather Lena Lingard is a perfect example of one of these exceptional ladies.

In the early 1900s the conception of a proper woman was a wife and mother. The female of the house’s main purpose was to take care of her children and husband. The majority of girls did not receive formal education, and did not hold jobs except for their household duties. Families would be large, as Antonia’s was, and many women would want this. The girls of this time were raised, for the most part, with no other goal but to get married. This is evident in the way Antonia did not want to go to school or live in town. Antonia only wanted to settle down and have a family.

These traditional values did not work for everyone. Though it was not highly looked upon, some women rejected the role as a stay at home mother. Instead of getting married and having children, these girls had jobs. Modern women wanted economic freedom. It was common for them to be seen as “loose” because they were not tied down to a single man (Ackerman). “They were considered both dangerous and vulnerable in the eyes of society” (Feminism and My Antonia). These modern business women were also expected to be almost masculine. This was proved when Jim burden described his shock that his friend Lena Lingard started her own business in the novel My Antonia by Willa Cather. When he imagined her she was “…so easy going; had none of that push and self-assertiveness that get people ahead in business.” She was gentle with people and basically