Defining Gender provided an overall expansive and well-organized project. The wide variety of resources and different learning tools available made this database a superior resource compared to others. Although its literature by early women writers was not as extensive as the Brown Women Writers Project, it still provided a strong collection that few databases have access to. The database’s clear organization of materials made for a pleasurable experience. The ease of navigating the database was much better compared to many I have used. It was effortless to research authors, topical materials and to find different types of printed documents. Defining Gender provides an excellent model of organization for other databases. The attempt made to cater to a wide audience was also impressive. Many of the other databases I have viewed usually cater to a select group. This one accommodated many.
This database was a delight to work with and truly presents valuable information for understanding early women writers. The precious documents replicated give insight to the historical context of women’s status, feelings, dreams, beliefs and hopes. Through reading these emerging texts, information that would otherwise be impossible to gather can be gleaned:
Early women’s writing needs rediscovering because much of it is still forgotten, because it can prove a delight to read, because without it our notions of literature become misleadingly one-sided, and because it offers insights into the historical condition of women…which are unavailable from other sources (Grundy 186).
May this prove be a step closer.
