Emily Dickinson can be described as a hermit, living within the walls of the family home for long periods of time (Young 76). While this may have been seen as madness, it has also been described as “an uncompromising commitment to artistic expression” and “as an attempt to undermine the restrictive masculine culture of his time” (Gale 49). This, along with her inability to conform to the poetic styles of her time, demonstrates Dickinson's "desire to challenge the social and gender conventions of her times" (Gale 49). During the nineteenth century, women were predominantly portrayed by men as “the angel [or] monsters” (Lipscomb 1). Dickinson, like many women writers sought to "combat patriarchal stereotypes and provide an authentic picture of the female experience" (Lipscomb 1). Dickinson seeks this through her poetic works, “I'm “wife”-I've finished that” and “She rose to His Requirement” in which she portrays women under the watchful gaze of their husbands as well as as independent. It describes the independence and strength that women lose once they become "wives" and the freedom they would have if society did not require them to conform exclusively to this role [as wives]. His poem “The Bustle in a House” seems to focus on the mourning of a loved one; however, Dickinson ingeniously uses this theme to describe the social depravity that women faced. This method also depicts women in a more natural setting rather than the unrealistic portrayals demonstrated by male writers. Through her poetry, Dickinson instills power in women. Dickinson “looked for models among the famous women writers of her time” and “was little influenced by men of letters” (Bloom, Homans 17). She herself, therefore, understood the difficulty of living in a male-dominated environment... middle of paper... ickinson thought of herself not only as a poet but as a female poet" and used her gift to create an image more realistic than women, raise awareness about the injustices and feelings experienced by women, as well as instill strength in future generations (Bloom, Homans 17). Works Cited Bloom, Harold and Margaret Homans “Emily Dickinson and Poetic Identity.” Literary Reference Center. EBSCO, March 21, 2005. Web. April 5, 2011. Feminism in Literature, 19th Century (cz). . Literary Reference Center, April 18, 2003. Web. April 7, 2011. Rossetto, Elizabeth. "The Madwoman in the Attic." EBSCO Literary Reference Center, June 1980. Web. April 5, 2011. Young, Robyn V. , ed. Criticism of Poetry. 1st ed. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1991. Print. Nineteenth century literary criticism