How did George Meredith’s novels argue that women should be treated as equals to men?

George Meredith’s novels argued for the equality of women by portraying them as spirited, intelligent individuals who think for themselves, rather than as mere puppets. His works were notably ahead of their time in their psychological depth and their insistence that women deserve to be accepted as equals to men.12

Meredith utilized his signature wit and brilliant dialogue to explore these themes, particularly in his later comedies:

• Individual Agency: In novels such as The Egoist and Diana of the Crossways, his female characters actively prove their right to be treated as autonomous individuals.1
• Critique of Marriage: Meredith frequently examined the failures of "mismating" in marriage. He argued that a woman is justified in leaving a husband who refuses to recognize her as an equal, a theme central to Lord Ormont and His Aminta and The Amazing Marriage.1
• Characterization: By creating "flesh-and-blood" women who possess both spirit and brains, he challenged the Victorian social conventions that sought to diminish women’s roles.1