Feminism on the Rise

The rise of feminism enabled playwrights to write about those struggles of women in society. These playwrights who wrote about feminism found their own voice to bring about awareness. Feminism played an active role in American culture especially after the women's suffrage movement. During the major impact of the 1980's women playwrights began to bring awareness between the inequalities of the sexes in society and focus their plays upon self-determination in making a difference. These women understood the need to fight against the discrimination of women. The plays based on feminism encourage women to search for their own identity and meaning in life. Wendy Wasserstein appealed to the white middle-class women in society.

Wendy Wasserstein' s The Heidi Chronicles encourage women to find a personal identity and fight gender bias, all in an attempt to "have it all" within life after the women's suffrage movement. Wasserstein has chosen to highlight educated women that attempt to make an impact on society and bring about awareness between the genders. During the play the audience follows Heidi through the rise of the feminist movement and a developing feminist awareness. In The Heidi Chronicles females try to make a change that leaves a lasting impact. Fran says:

"Heidi, every woman in this room has been taught that the desires and dreams of her husband, her son, or her boss are much more important than her own. Now the only way to turn that around, is for us, right here, to try to make what we want, what we desire, to be as vital to us as it undoubtedly is to any man. And then, we can go out there and really make a difference!" (Heidi 23)

Fran makes apparent the traditional role that has been taught to growing girls, pointing out the inequities women face instead of given options. This play brings awareness of the differences between the genders in society. But being aware also encourages the women to search for their own identities.

In The Heidi Chronicles Wasserstein encourages women to find their own identity and meaning. These educated women find themselves having an internal struggle between the new independence and the traditional values. Women's typical role and identity has always been nurturer for others. The needs of others were more important by old- fashioned standards rather than the career of the women. Today women continue to get treated traditionally even when their views have changed on life is different. Heidi firmly believes that an educated woman expects more from life rather than being someone's caretaker: "I mean, why should some well-educated woman waste her time making you and your children tuna fish sandwiches?"(Heidi 17) As a feminist, Heidi tries to challenge the stereotype of a woman and create her own identity. Feminists believe that women's loss of identity happens to those living through men and their lives and that a woman has to be strong enough to fight against society's traditional values.

Feminism plays an active role in contemporary American culture, and as a dramatist Wendy Wasserstein brings awareness in the inequality between men and women. As women in transition the characters have a difficult time choosing the path that will lead to their happiness. Feminism did more than enable women to hold powerful positions along with reshaping the attitudes toward their private lives involving marriage, sexuality and motherhood.