Tracing the representation of the New Woman in literature back through history is critical to understand The Yellow Book in terms of the way it presented and treated feminist ideologies in its content, and the sudden boom in women’s writing during the 1890s (Diniejko). The introduction of more empowering female narratives in periodicals like The Yellow Book as well as others helped to spread feminist ideologies to a wide readership. Additionally, by publishing feminist content, The Yellow Book further asserted itself as avant-garde and limit-pushing. Gordon’s “Mary Astell” contemplates Astell’s “A Serious Proposal to the Ladies for the Advancement of their True and Greatest Interest. By A Lover of Her Sex” (1694) which argues that women should learn to value themselves as people to the same extent, or perhaps greater, than they value men (Gordon 107). Astell states that perhaps women should not marry, because doing so results in becoming a man’s submissive counterpart (Gordon 110).

The argument Gordon is making is one that was received with much controversy by the right-leaning side of the debate on women, as is explored later on.  Gordon’s essay expresses her disappointment that Astell’s text was not more widely known, and that it would still be of use to women of the present day despite its age (Gordon 114). By reaching back into history to find a positive and powerful female role model, Gordon’s simultaneously contributes to the advancement of New Woman ideology and shows that the New Woman may actually be quite old.  Gordon manifested certain New Woman ideologies herself.  Not only was she a working as a writer, but shortly after "Mary Astell" was published, Gordon, like many other female writers, stopped preceding their names with "Mrs." on their work (Mix 254).  Distancing themselves from their husbands though this shows an emerging individuality for woman writers like Gordon.

Adams’s “Come Unto These Yellow Sands” serves a similar function as Gordon’s essay, although its feminist motives are less direct. By choosing to draw on a play such as The Tempest, which critiques the submission of women to men and the idea of marriage for advancement, Adams makes the same commentary as Gordon in a subtler fashion. Additionally, The Tempest has a single female character, whereas Adams’ drawing shows 5 women. Perhaps this is an attempt by Adams to reinforce the place of women in the scope of literature and art through their artful depiction.  

In Volume 9 alone, there are 2 other works which allude to Shakespeare ("Hermia and Helena" by Charles March Gere "Poor Romeo" by Max Beerbohm).  The popularity of Shakespeare in The Yellow Book is significant from a  feminist standpoint because Victorian magazines often used Shakespeare to oppose "cultural hegemony" and promote new ways of thinking (Prince 38).  Adams' Shakespearean inspiration then was likely no coincidence, especially a play such as The Tempest which is rooted in feminist and political issues.  By showing that these New Woman themes were evident in an old and well-respected work, Adams is showing that feminist ideologies already had a working foundation by the 1890s and injected them into wider circulation by contributing to The Yellow Book.  

As a periodical with a transatlantic readership, The Yellow Book allowed the innovative writing and art of lesser known individuals to reach an audience where such circulation may not have otherwise been possible.  Members of the Birmingham School had the opportunity to greatly increase viewership by publishing in The Yellow Book as opposed to their own magazine, The Quest (Denisoff and Kooistra). Works by Birmingham students have been praised for their boldness and simplicity in contrast with other works being produced in the decade and many students became notable artists as a result (Crane 203).  Although Adams did not achieve any kind of fame from her publication in The Yellow Book, other female Birmingham students became prominent.  As an individual artist, her influence is more difficult to see, but the group she was part of more visibly advanced feminism and female artists.  Paid female artists were not a common concept in the 1890s and by representing many women from the Birmingham School, The Yellow Book helped to assert the place of women in the field of art as valued contributors.

The mere inclusion of Gordon’s and Adams’ work in The Yellow Book can be considered a triumph in the advancement of feminist ideologies in itself. Gordon and Adams, both women, contributed paid publications in the literary and artistic field at a time when the idea of a working woman was still frequently disapproved of. The Yellow Book, in its decision to include pro-female texts and images, and even more notably, ones actually contributed by women, played a major role in supporting these feminist motives. Whether The Yellow Book did this out of genuine support for women or simply because publishing women was seen as an unconventional or trendy thing to do is not as important as the fact that artists and writers who may have otherwise not been circulated were expanding their readership in a big way. 

Other texts being published around this time directly opposed the kind of female advancement which Adams and Gordon were evidently trying to promote. William Rathbone Greg’s non-fictional commentary on the place of women titled Why Are Women Redundant? (1869) epitomizes the conservative male’s opposition to Victorian feminism. He describes the notion that some women may not want to get married and would prefer to remain single and join the work force as a sure sign of a corrupt societal system and that the desire of women to remain single and work is inherently wrong. He states that it is absurd that women are “compelled to lead an independent . . . existence of their own” rather than “completing, sweetening, and embellishing the existence of others” (Greg 5). He argues that women, with “none to love, cherish, and obey” will simply grow bitter and wither away (Greg 6). This idea of women as accessories, as marginal characters in a male-dominated world, is exactly what Astell argued against in her essay written years earlier and Gordon is attempting to revive and recirculate.

However, The Yellow Book retained its critical position in the advancement of women by continuing to publish female writers and artists. The introduction to Volume 9 notes that its front cover, created by female artist Mabel Dearmer of the Birmingham School, sparked an ongoing trend in The Yellow Book volumes that followed, 3 of which also had front covers designed by women. Additionally, Volume 9 featured 6 female artists from the Birmingham School out of the 14 total art contributors (Denisoff and Kooistra). This shows The Yellow Book asserting its position on the side the working woman by paying female artists and publishing their work, ultimately using the periodical’s power and notability to break down cultural barriers and gender hierarchies.

By publishing in The Yellow Book, Gordon and Adams advanced the place of women in the literary and artistic fields.  The publication of two inherently feminist works, created by women, in a vastly read and influential magazine is important in the context of feminism in the 1890s and the continuation of this feminist practice helped put women where they are today, as equal counterparts to men.  Through the content of their work, both counter negative female stereotypes by drawing upon positive female role models, showing that the New Woman was not completely new.  Her presence in previous centuries was perhaps a source of confidence for newer New Women to move forward in their questioning of gender hierarchies from the knowledge that a tradition of feminists already existed.