夏洛特·珀金斯·吉爾曼(1860-1935),美國著名小說家、詩人,同時也是一位經(jīng)濟學(xué)家、進化理論家,被譽為“美國女性主義的馬克思和凡勃倫”。她的祖母家族“the Beecher family”中頗有幾位熱衷社會改革的女性,包括《湯姆叔叔的小屋》的作者哈麗雅特·比徹·斯通和積極推動婦女參政投票的伊莎貝拉·比徹·胡克等。吉爾曼創(chuàng)作的具有女性主義早期思想的作品有烏托邦小說《她鄉(xiāng)》(1979),講述她精神崩潰經(jīng)歷的短篇小說《黃色墻紙》,以及被女權(quán)運動奉為經(jīng)典的非小說作品《女人與經(jīng)濟學(xué)》。
To the young man confronting life the world lies wide.Such powers as he has he may use, must use. If hechooses wrong at first, he may choose again, and yetagain. Not effective or successful in one channel, he may do betterin another. The growing, varied needs of all mankind call onhim for the varied service in which he finds his growth. Whathe wants to be, he may strive to be. What he wants to get, he may strive to get. Wealth, power, social distinction, fame, what he wants he can try for.