Grimke's grim outlook

After reading the Chapter from Kean and Campbell, I felt that I got a very skewed view of the whole issue of gender in this country. The quote by Grimke paints a picture of how women were treated during her era, the 1800s. She explains how women are "converted into a mere drudge to suit the convenience of her lord and master." This view is far off from the world of today and I feel such comparisons are no longer fair to make. No longer are women expected to stay at home and look after their children. Parents now assume more equal roles in the upbringing of their kids. Being raised in a household where, more often than not, my father made dinner for my family and cleaned the house on weekends, I see that it is no longer as much of an issue of society, but instead that of the individual. At this moment in time the sexes have never before been on such a "level" playing field. I feel that in the cases where extreme gender roles are instituted, it is more on an individual basis as opposed to a blanketing societal phenomenon that Grimke had combated.