research into one independent women:Amelia Earhart

narrowing down my area of study 
i have decided to narrow down my focus area further to just one independent woman. Amelia Earhart. i was intrigued to find out more about her life story and determination as a woman. i feel by choosing one woman to focus on will give me a in-depth, personal and deeper understanding of my subject matter.

Research 


So independent, in fact, that when she lectured at colleges she was very adamant that women pursue education and degrees before settling down with a marriage. She saw marriage as a cage, granted an"attractive" one, but still a cage nonetheless.

Earhart wasn't like other girls. Her mother didn't believe in molding her and her sister, "Pidge," into "nice little girls," and because of this, the two dressed and played like boys. It was in those early days that Earhart's sense of adventure was fostered, and her fearlessness to take flight was inevitable

Unlike many relationships of the time, she regarded hers to be one of equal partnership, and it was important to her that they were both "breadwinners," so as avoid any imbalance or unnecessary dependence on each other. She also kept her maiden name, something that was absolutely unheard of in 1930's America.  When she finally, and reluctantly, married Putman in 1931 at the age of 33 (practically old-maid status for that era), she gave him the following letter:

You must know again my reluctance to marry, my feeling that I shatter thereby chances in work which means so much to me . . . . In our life together I shall not hold you to any medieval code of faithfulness to me, nor shall I consider myself bound to you similarly. . . . I may have to keep some place where I can go to be myself now and then, for I cannot guarantee to endure at all the confinements of even an attractive cage.

. The woman had wings, both literally and metaphorically, and being trapped on the ground in the conventions of marriage would not do for her. She wanted far more, and succeeded in achieving that more. She wanted to live and love on her terms, and not have anyone, not even a husband, interfere with that.

She encouraged women who, during that time wouldn't have even considered it, to also put themselves, education and successes before all else, especially marriage.

Earhart knew from the start that love may be important to life, but loving a man (or woman) isn't as essential to life as finding your passion, setting goals and reaching them. That's where true love for oneself really lies, and that's the type of love on which you can count.