Concerning Children

Novelist, poet, and social analyst Gilman (1860-1935), known for her vivid analysis and portrayal of the disadvantages society places on women, argued that the prevailing model of child rearing was selfish, concerned with what was believed to be better for parents than with what was known to be better for children. The basis for raising children, she said, should be encouraging them to think, rather than obedience and discipline.