Harwood published “Suburban Sonnet” in the late 1960s, which was a period of social and legal change for women in Australia. During this time, activists achieved milestones such as passing legislation making it illegal to pay women less money than men for doing the same job. People participated in marches and protests against society’s oppression of women, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the lack of access to birth control. Women demanded more options outside of the home and pushed back against the hegemonic cultural script that women must stay at home and be mothers. Harwood's poem is part of this movement. It exposes the problems with strict gender roles and provides a nuanced insight into a woman's mindset, which contrasts with the more stereotypical and sexist representations of women historically. The poem also suggests that it would be better for society if women were able to pursue their own careers and passions, which was a core thesis of second-wave feminism in Australia.
Despite the advances and successes of the feminist movement, this time period was still characterized by strict gender roles and limitations placed upon women, which feminists fought against. In fact, Harwood herself published much of her poetry under a male pseudonym to avoid the sexism of literary editors, who would take her work more seriously if it was written by a man (despite her poetry exploring themes of women’s oppression). “Suburban Sonnet” is a feminist text because it critiques the social roles that restrict woman’s passions and dreams. By unflinchingly portraying the nausea, regret, and pain that the woman feels over being forced to give up her successful musical career, “Suburban Sonnet" subverts the trope of the idealized mother to present a more nuanced and realistic portrayal of a complex female protagonist with multiple goals and dreams. Particularly when read alongside its companions “In the Park” and “Suburban Sonnet: Boxing Day,” this poem draws on Harwood’s own experience as a woman to counter the false, idealized, and oppressive image of women in literature that has often be created by male authors.
