19th century America was completely dominated by men. Women were meant to work in the house for the family and be at the disposal of their husbands. [1] After the civil war, women began to become more aware of their place in society. Just 10 years later Glaspell was born, and while women were making progress, she was very aware and opposed to the idea of separate spheres. Watching her mother and father’s relationship brought the inequality into her own home, and she did not want to grow up to become her mother. [2] She did not agree with how women were forced to dress a certain way and expected to fall into the pattern of the generations that preceded them. Leading into the 10th century, women were beginning to come into their own. The New Woman Movement involved a great deal of feminism and women finally began to come forward and speak out in society expressing both their sexuality and their opinions. [3] While Glaspell is still considered a rebel in her avant-garde style of drama and unconventional views of a woman’s place in America, her plays were more accepted and popularized due to the changing position of women at this time.