Female Evolution in the United States Do you believe that women of this current generation have always received the same level of respect that they receive now? Today, women are treated exceptionally well compared to their nineteenth- and twentieth-century counterparts, and treated even better than those in America's earliest years. In the past, women were limited in their freedoms and rights; their individuality was laid bare and they were constantly forced to satisfy the binding vision of a “traditional” America. In contrast, women in modern America are afforded a level of recognition and respect unexplored by American women of previous generations. In the past, women were judged unfairly. Throughout American history, women have been considered the inferior gender because they were always doing something wrong. For example, in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character, Hester, is exiled to the outskirts of her town with her daughter, Pearl. The people in Hester's town mistakenly believed that Hester was having an affair during her husband's absence; she was actually raped. This mid-seventeenth century Bostonian society was automatically disgusted by Hester's giving birth during her husband's absence. They falsely accused her of not being loyal when in reality she was forcibly raped. The novel describes this situation by saying, “She would become the general symbol to which the preacher and the moralist could point, and in which they could vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful passion” (Hawthorne 5.1). Men were unfairly perceived as superior individuals and less pressure was placed on them. Women were seen as inherently sinful and, therefore, have a tarnished image because of this. They are str... middle of paper... "rules of conduct" that spell success for men. Now a second wave of women is making their way into top management, not by adopting the style and habits that have proven successful for men, but by drawing on the skills and attitudes they have developed from their shared experience as women.” Let it be known that this gradual process of more and more women exercising their freedoms has led to the independent women who lead America today. Throughout most of history, women have generally had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wife and motherhood were considered women's most significant professions. In the 20th century, however, women gained the right to vote and increased their educational and employment opportunities. Perhaps most importantly, they fought for and to a large extent accomplished a reevaluation of traditional views of their role in society.