This thematic Collection highlights Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity. Through novels, plays, and works of nonfiction, the selections in this Collection explore the feminine experience in a variety of historical settings and cultures as they examine topics such as gender roles, feminism, and what it means to be feminine.
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 1436
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Travel Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction, Biography
The Book of Margery Kempe is a 15th-century autobiography of an English mystic, wife, and mother who devoted much of her life to Christian spirituality. Kempe (b. ca. 1373) was a semi-literate member of the upper-middle class from King’s Lynn, a mercantile town in Norfolk, a county in eastern England. She gave birth over a dozen times before she convinced her husband to embrace a chaste marriage. Kempe claimed to have divine revelations in which... Read The Book of Margery Kempe Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Romance, Sports, Relationships
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: World, Biography, Politics / Government, History: European, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Humor, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1937
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender
Tags American Literature, Education, Education, History: U.S., History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Chrysanthemums” is a short story by American author John Steinbeck, originally published in 1937 in Harper’s Magazine. It was later added to Steinbeck’s collection of short stories titled The Long Valley, which was published in 1938, and it was adapted into a short film by Steve Rossen in 1990.The story opens with a description of a grey winter day in the Salinas Valley of California, where many of Steinbeck’s writings are set. After describing... Read The Chrysanthemums Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Urban Development, Information Age, African American Literature
Publication year 2004
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Play: Drama, Relationships, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, Class, American Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy
The Clean House, which premiered at Yale Repertory Theatre in 2004 and opened Off-Broadway in 2006, was the first major play by celebrated American playwright Sarah Ruhl, whose other widely recognized works include Eurydice (2004), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (2007), and In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) (2009). The Clean House received a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2004 and was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Ruhl also earned... Read The Clean House Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1954
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Technology, Cold War, American Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
“The Cold Equations” is a science fiction short story by American author Tom Godwin, which originally appeared in a 1954 edition of Astounding magazine. The story stood out long after its publication and was considered one of the best science fiction short stories published before 1965. It was also reprinted in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964.The pilot of an Emergency Dispatch Ship (EDS) launched from a larger ship, the Stardust, is... Read The Cold Equations Summary
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Colonialism
Tags Gender / Feminism, American Literature, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: World, LGBTQ
The Color Purple is an epistolary novel—a novel told in letter form—in which Alice Walker traces the gradual liberation of Celie, a poor, Black woman who must overcome abuse and separation from her beloved sister Nettie. Set in the South and an unnamed African country during the 1930 to 1940s, the novel is a study in the ways in which Black women use their faith, relationships, and creativity to survive racial and sexual oppression. Several... Read The Color Purple Summary
Publication year 1722
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Restoration
The Conscious Lovers is a sentimental comedy play by 18th-century playwright Richard Steele. The play was first performed at Drury Lane in 1722, and it was published the same year with a different Epilogue. The Conscious Lovers, which is based loosely on Andria, or The Woman of Andros, a comedy by ancient Roman playwright Terence, is an explicitly moral comedy, following characters that are rewarded for their uprightness: Bevil Jr. wants to marry Indiana, a woman... Read The Conscious Lovers Summary
Publication year 1960
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity
Tags Race / Racism
Publication year 2009
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Latin American Literature
Publication year 1899
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity
Tags Historical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Russian Literature, Education, Education, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: World, Politics / Government, Military / War, WWII / World War II, Cold War, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography
Publication year 1987
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Femininity, Society: Community
Tags History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, Colonial America, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Russian Literature, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Humor, Gender / Feminism