Throughout history, women have been considered inferior to men on a physical and intellectual level. They are often objectified
and portrayed as the weaker sex in traditional literature. This paper shows how Sappho, Marie de France, Marguerite de Navarre, and Jane Austen all
challenged the stereotypes of women in their writing. They were innovative authors who commented on the flaws in popular societal beliefs and challenged their readers to view things differently. The paper shows how these authors also built on many literary
traditions and styles, while combining them with their own innovations; these have now become traditions for today's authors.