Professor discusses women role models in biographies
Laura Tetreault
Issue date: 11/3/06 Section: News
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11/3/06 - Professor Gale Eaton, director of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Science, gave a presentation on "Clothing the Role Models: Well-Dressed Biographies" yesterday in the Galanti Lounge at the University Library.
The presentation, based on Eaton's newest book entitled "Well-dressed role models: the portrayal of women in biographies for children," addressed the changing image of women in children's biographies from 1946 to 1996.
"The changes in women's lives over time are very easy to trace, and I thought this would result in differences in the way the biographies were handled," Eaton said.
Eaton said in 1946 America "tried to get Rosie the Riveter back into the kitchen." Biographies were "spunky, but feminine" and found that women who had war experience would go back to their "place" after their services were no longer needed. Eaton used examples like Pocahontas and Dolly Madison to convey her point.
According to Eaton, biographies from the 1940s euphemized scandalous details from the lives of their subjects to provide wholesome role models for children.
If famous historical figures misbehaved, Eaton explained "you didn't want little bourgeois girls in the 1940s and 1950s imitating that."
Eaton said that biographers from the 1940s didn't like the idea of portraying women in a bad light and tried to make them look more "wholesome." For example, Eaton said that biographers added Queen Elizabeth's request for a New Testament while she was in prison to make her seem like a more traditional woman. Biographies about Queen Elizabeth omitted the probability that Elizabeth had several affairs, Eaton said.
By 1971, the feminist movement had begun to affect the portrayal of women.
"We burned bras and went to consciousness-raising sessions," Eaton said. She said biographies from this era included "women of color [and] rabble rousers," but were still traditional and left out certain aspects of their lives.
The presentation, based on Eaton's newest book entitled "Well-dressed role models: the portrayal of women in biographies for children," addressed the changing image of women in children's biographies from 1946 to 1996.
"The changes in women's lives over time are very easy to trace, and I thought this would result in differences in the way the biographies were handled," Eaton said.
Eaton said in 1946 America "tried to get Rosie the Riveter back into the kitchen." Biographies were "spunky, but feminine" and found that women who had war experience would go back to their "place" after their services were no longer needed. Eaton used examples like Pocahontas and Dolly Madison to convey her point.
According to Eaton, biographies from the 1940s euphemized scandalous details from the lives of their subjects to provide wholesome role models for children.
If famous historical figures misbehaved, Eaton explained "you didn't want little bourgeois girls in the 1940s and 1950s imitating that."
Eaton said that biographers from the 1940s didn't like the idea of portraying women in a bad light and tried to make them look more "wholesome." For example, Eaton said that biographers added Queen Elizabeth's request for a New Testament while she was in prison to make her seem like a more traditional woman. Biographies about Queen Elizabeth omitted the probability that Elizabeth had several affairs, Eaton said.
By 1971, the feminist movement had begun to affect the portrayal of women.
"We burned bras and went to consciousness-raising sessions," Eaton said. She said biographies from this era included "women of color [and] rabble rousers," but were still traditional and left out certain aspects of their lives.
