Feminism has turned into such a controversial topic these days. Everyone has an opinion about it, yet, not that many people even know much about the essence and roots of this movement. Hence, it only makes sense that more and more students choose this topic for their academic papers. However, writing about feminism is not all that easy, even if you know much about it. When it comes to such big topics as feminism, you better return to the very beginning. Hence, write about the roots of the movement, how it started, and what it took to make it happen. Overall, such essays should provide readers with all the essential information on the history of feminism. So, let’s see some tips on writing an essay on the roots of feminism.
Set the Foundation
A brief historical discourse will be very much appreciated in an essay like this. A student should start by outlining the historical context of the issue at hand, or feminism, in this case. It is not enough to write what, how, and where. The ‘why’ is just as important. Historical context gives us the answers to ‘why.’ In the case of the early equal rights movements, students can outline the conditions, such as laws, economy, morals, etc., that made women think about starting the movement.
Hence, before you move on to the core part of your paper, think of the ways to explain how it all began and why it was necessary. Such a start explains the motivation and foundation of the movement. Moreover, it also can be used for comparison later on when judging the success of early feminism steps.
Find an angle
Chances are, your teachers have seen thousands of feminist essays by now. It has come to the point when not much can surprise them. However, you still have an advantage here. The thing is, your teachers haven’t read an essay on feminism from you. Hence, it is your voice that can make the whole thing special. You have a chance to write your vision, thoughts, and ideas on the issue. So, don’t enlist the facts and dates everyone already knows. Instead, find an angle to the problem.
Overall, your angle is what you choose to establish as your thesis statement. Try not to write yet another history essay on how things started. Instead, find a unique issue you would like to discuss within the given topic. For example, you can discuss the legal complications during the first years of the feminist movement. Or, write about feminism by analyzing female literature/authors of that time. Writing a Kate Chopin the storm analysis can be a great idea for the essay on the roots of feminism. After all, if not for the movement for women’s rights, this short story, like many others, would have never been published.
So, never start writing without a thesis in mind. Define what you want to discuss, what pieces of the story (history) should take the central place in your essay. Then, find ways to prove your thesis statement by using references, quotations, facts, and logic.
Outline and Structure
As in any other essay, structure means everything. You need to follow the basic principles of academic paper writing to receive high grades. So, have a clearly defined introduction and conclusion which both revolve around your thesis statement. Have at least two-three sections in the main body, each of which discusses separate issues. Each section should have its main idea, background, evidence, and conclusion. For example, if you want to discuss the suffragettes and their role in early feminism, do just that. State that they were at the very roots of the movements and helped to found feminism. Add evidence, citations, and facts. End by analyzing the evidence you used and demonstrate how you claim it was the right one.
Write Neutrally
Feminism always wakes strong feelings and emotions. Yet, academia is not well-known for being sensitive, is it? A school is a place for thought and facts. So, that’s exactly what students should provide in their papers. Hence, your goal is to stay neutral throughout the entire essay. It means you can take sides, express personal judgment, put blame or explicitly praise anyone or anything. A student’s job is to write a paper that tells the truth about the issue at hand by providing as much information as needed for the readers to make their own minds.
Don’t Forget about ‘Now’
It won’t hurt to draw a parallel between then and now at the end of your paper. You have just explained how it all started. Now put a few sentences about how it is going. Of course, no country has achieved perfect gender equality. So, it is impossible to claim that feminism has succeeded in its mission. Yet, so much progress and change have happened over the last hundred years. So, it makes sense to demonstrate how the roots of feminism set the foundation of the world we are living in today.
