Women have and continue struggling being classified as less than men from the beginning of creation. Historically, women were often given less power socially and politically, when things for their husbands spun out of control the women were the ones to receive the blame. Women became stereotyped as villains; such is seen with Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkel," and the character of Dame Van Winkle. Dame Van Winkle antagonizes her husband, "hen-pecking" him, causing him dread in being at home. Irving accurately describes the stereotypical troublesome wife of American history. Women have been and continually are stereotyped as the downfall of her husband or his stature.

When American society began to take shape, women had no political power and men often blamed their down falls due to their wives. A stereotype was started early in history, not only American; it was the women dragging the men down, creating...