Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume One, 1884-1933 | Themes

Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume One, 1884-1933 Themes

Self-Discovery

The central theme of the biography is Roosevelt's process of self-discovery, or self-realization. As she matured, she grew to understand the value of her unique talents and created a life for herself that not only offered her personal fulfillment but also helped to improve the lives of others. In this process, she discovered that she need not be bound by the old traditions that restricted women's roles in society. With determination, she could forge an independent path, focusing not only on her family but also on larger issues that mattered to her, such as social reform and the emancipation of women.

For Roosevelt, this was a long journey because she had a lot to overcome. In the upper-class society in which she grew up, a woman's duties were to supervise the household and support her husband in his career. Ambition was frowned upon since it was believed that God...
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