Fight for Equality The Equal Rights Amendment states that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state to because of sex." However, looking back at history, one can see that gender has played a vital role in determining one's status in society. The challenges women faced began when they were simply girls. These girls were raised with the idea that they were only suitable for certain occupations, usually only to serve as wives and mothers. These beliefs of staying within one's boundaries remain as fears in women's minds, so by the time adulthood approaches, they have already molded themselves to fit those beliefs. There are numerous literary works that have given life to women in their struggle to become free. An example, “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, tells the story of Elisa and her struggle to escape the female world. The idea of ​​becoming something more than an ideal wife pushes women to push themselves beyond their limits in an attempt to gain power in a man's world while hoping to be recognized for their strengths. Discrimination has always given men greater power over women, who should ideally sit within their limited boundaries. These traditions led to stronger women who wanted to try to push their limits. When Elisa is working in her garden, she notices her husband talking to a couple of men and she "[looks] towards the men near the tractor shed every now and then" (Steinbeck 1). Elisa, looking at men numerous times, shows her curiosity to leave the confines of her life which is the fence around her. The fence symbolizes his life. This also symbolizes how she is very fed up with her married life and now desperately needs to get out. But the... middle of paper... is really handsome, and therefore he was never interested in Elisa. Thus Elisa returns to reality, and falls back into the abyss of feeling like a housewife and not a free person, which she despised. Overall, the impact the tinker has on Elisa brings Elisa back to square one. This illustrates the impact of Elisa's push to expand her borders. Women try their best to push their boundaries but never manage to do so, due to the overly pompous nature of men. Women are never seen for their strengths and are oppressed. Women have not been able to reach their full potential because society has refused to freely accept them. This world could not progress with the isolation of women. It can be seen throughout history that gender bias prevents the individual from doing what they want to do. Nowadays women are free to do whatever they want.