Marginalized Women in American Historical Fiction
The creative work of historical fiction brings a prior time and place, one known but unfamiliar, into the present. Jerome de Groot considers one purpose of historical fiction is to “challenge the orthodoxy and potential for dissent [which will] challenge mainstream and repressive narratives.” Its characters and settings represent the cultural issues and struggles of their own time while also asking readers to recognize that many of the same situations still exist and need attention. The social and racial marginalization of women in the United States has been gaining that attention in popular culture outlets, including a recent Saturday Night Live cold open.