«Life is a verb, not a noun»: Charlotte Perkins Gilman on literature, feminism and emancipation

Abstract

The philosophical and political work by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) has been ignored for decades, but it starts to awaken interest again. As many other women of her generation, the omission of her contribution must be attributed to gender bias in history of philosophy. Three of these contributions are presented here in a chronological reading: the charge of psychoanalysis for misogyny, political economy and sexual distribution of work, and socialist utopian literature. The aim of this reading is to certify Gilman’s original thought in her time and in ours.

Keywords: Gilman, psychoanalysis, gender, feminism, economy, socialism, utopia.