The New Woman Figure

The New Woman was a feminist ideal that emerged in the late-nineteenth century and was popularized by writers such as Henry James, who used it to describe the growing numbers of educated and independent career women in Europe and the United States. The concept challenged the rigid expectations within a male-dominated society, as can be seen in the works of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw. Oscar Wilde’s comedies took a lighter approach to the movement, but the feminist pushback is present nonetheless. This guide will explore how Wilde portrays the image of the New Woman throughout his plays.

Terminology

• Feminism: Advocacy of women's rights in society, economics, politics, civil liberties, and culture, based on the equality of the sexes.
• Fin-de-siècle: The end of a century, used especially to define the last years of the nineteenth century.
• Victorian: Relating to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) or a person who lived in the Victorian era.

Key Dates & Events

• 1881 - The Rational Dress Society was founded in London.
• 1887 - Oscar Wilde became the editor of The Woman’s World, a position he sustained until 1889.
• 1893 - A Woman of No Importance premieres at the Haymarket Theatre, London on April 19.
• 1895 - The Importance of Being Earnest premieres St. James’s Theatre, London on February 14.