Discovering and reading the American woman

Abstract

In this paper, I examine the forces at work in the formation of the canon of American Literature in the early years of this century; the white anglo-saxon protestant male ethic dominant in other spheres prevailed in literature and thus women and other minority writers were excluded. The feminist movement of the last two decades has contributed lo the revision of the canon, and many writers of merit have been recovered, including Susan Glaspell. Glaspell (1876-1848) was, with Eugene O'Neill, the principal playwright to work for the Provincetown Players; she was also a renowned novelist. In this paper, I offer a brief look at The Verge, a play acclaimed by feminists of her time.