Gender

The primary theme in The Address is the subtle, perhaps even subconscious unfair treatment of women in society, particularly in the 19th century. Sara Smythe has considerable personal and professional skills, but they are ultimately all stripped away from her, almost purely as a result of her status as a woman. Mr. Theodore Camden is able to manipulate both Sara and Mrs. Minnie Camden at virtually all times, whether they are aware of it or not, thanks to his loftier status as a man. Even during the times where Sara is content with her life in New York City, she works as Mr. Camden's primary assistant -- the surrounding society has trained Sara to not even consider the possibility that she could be a capable designer/architect in her own right.

The small but poignant tale of Sara's mother demonstrates that the gender issues encountered by...