When you think of women, the same basic thoughts always run through men's minds. Too many men place women in the same standard cooking, cleaning and catering roles as men. Historically over time the role of women has been inferior to that of men. These thoughts have progressively changed over time, but have yet to achieve the equality sought by every woman. Thoughts like the ones mentioned above are prevalent in literature, with most female characters following the same pattern of traits and intelligence in every novel. Historically, women have had to conform to specific stereotypical roles, which are often reflected in literature. Women have never had an easy life, and this is evident in the way women have been treated throughout time. In the Middle Ages, medieval times were completely run by men and women had to follow the rules set by men and do what they were told. The traditions of the time meant that women had no role in the society of the time. The cities where women lived decided the jobs a woman could do, even the wages women earned at that time were influenced by her gender. A woman could perform many of the tasks performed by men, yet she would still be paid less regardless of how well the job was done. Women of the time were usually paid around three or four pence less than a man might have been paid. Even the laws of the time were equally restrictive, because they were established by men. Some laws of the time stipulated that women “were not permitted to marry without parental consent, could not own business with special permission, could not divorce their husbands, could not own property of any kind unless they were widows, and They couldn't inherit land from their parents if they... middle of paper... were expected to follow the same values ​​that women are expected to follow. The tendency to rely on stereotypes is real and ever-present. Feminish.com states that adults have shown a tendency to attribute gender-stereotypical traits to women and men and that there is a reluctance to attribute feminine characteristics to males. (Gender stereotypes: masculinity and femininity). In nonfiction novels, especially textbooks, textbook content lacks a female presence. All textbooks written in school focus on human history, partly because women have had no real role in much of history. They lack attention to female figures and generally focus on acts performed by males. Women's rights did not take precedence until the 19th century. In history books, men were mentioned seven times more. (Paynter, “Gender Stereotypes and Representation in Children's Picture Books” ).