History has not always been kind to women, who were traditionally expected to stay silent and take the role of a wife and a mother. These period dramas show how women in different era fought for their rights and taking the control of their life, allowing us to enjoy the rights and freedom we have today. From Little Women to Anne With An E, check out the stories that still remain relevant today, as women were way ahead of their time in them.
Period Dramas Where Female Protagonists Are Way Ahead Of Time
Check the list of period movies and shows, where female protagonists challenge the norms and traditions.
1. Anne With An E
Anne With An E follows a 13-year-old Anne Shirley, who proudly talks about feminism, gender equality, love, and identity when girls were only taught to be wives. Set in the 1890s, the show beautifully challenges the social norms without being too preachy. It is streaming on Netflix.
2. Little Women
Little Women is a story that has been retold many times across different generations, but the theme of women trying to find their identity remains the same. The story follows four sisters with different ideologies. Even though Meg chose to marry for love, the movie and the book do not show it as a bad decision. It brilliantly shows how Jo feels lonely in a world where everyone tells women that they are only made for love.
3. The Empress
The Empress is based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and follows her time as the Queen after entering a world of tensions and intrigue at the Viennese court. The show portrays her as a rebellious, modern-leaning feminist heroine. Despite being a queen, she challenges court etiquette and speaks her mind.
4. My Brilliant Career
Sybylla Melvyn in My Brilliant Career is someone every woman can relate to, despite the story being set in the late 9th and early 20th centuries. She is a headstrong young woman who wants to become a professional writer at a time when women were only expected to marry. Despite being in love and finding marriage prospects, she takes her fate in her hand.
5. Enola Holmes
An imagined tale of Sherlock Holmes's 16-year-old sister Enola in 1884 who refuses confined by traditional norms and solves crimes. Despite her brother being a renowned detective, she wants to make her own identity and challenge the standards set for women in society.
6. Bulbbul
Bulbbul follows a child bride who turned into a supernatural force in 1880s Bengal. This is not only a horror story, but also the tale of trauma, revenge, and female rage against oppressive child marriage and patriarchy. Tripti Dimri brilliantly plays the title character and displays her emotions perfectly.
These period pieces are more than just costume drama but also a reminder that feminism didn't start yesterday. So if you are tired of damsels in distress, binge these period dramas where women do not wait for a prince but they become the revolution.