Who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?

• A. Edna Ferber
• B. Harriet Beecher Stowe
• C. Kate Chopin
• D. Zora Neale Hurston

Answer: (A)

Recognizing the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction shows how prize history reflects milestones for women in American literature. Edna Ferber earned the award for So Big, making her the first woman to receive the fiction prize. This achievement marked a significant moment that helped open doors for future women writers to be honored by the Pulitzer. The other authors listed are celebrated figures in literature, but none of them won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in the era of this award’s early history, so Ferber’s win stands apart as the historic first.