How do female characters fit into the modernist milieu?

I'm writing an essay and wanted to get other people's opinion about how female characters fit into the modernist milieu and what we can learn from them? Also, How do they hold up to the poetic voices of real female modernists like St. Vincent Millay and Marianne Moore?

My class read Long Day's Journey Into the Night by Eugene O'Neill and Red Wind by Raymond Chandler. In particular, we are looking at Mary from Long Day's Journey Into the Night and Lola from the Red Wind.

I appreciate the input and thank you in advanced!

Well, this is a very interesting question. You are looking at female characters created by two male modernist writers who are known for their misogyny and asking how they compare to the actual voices of women of the modernist milieu as exemplified by St. Vincent Millay and Marianne Moore.

Right away, I think about how Marianne Moore's voice is so complex and quirky, coming at the reader from so many odd angles and so vividly expressing a unique and often variegated worldview. In contrast, Chandler and O'Neill's female characters tend to be types, serving primarily as foils for their male protagonists.

An interesting question indeed. I am curious if the opinions of male respondents will differ substantially from those of female respondents. Alas, I never much liked modernism, and have not studied these authors enough to be able to offer a useful comparison myself. If I weren't so busy at the moment, though, I would read the novels in question, just to be able to comment.

Thank you for your thoughts EF_Simone! I've got a good start on my essay, but this gave me a few other ideas to write about :)