Serious and systematic exploration of the differences between the language of women and men has come only since the late l960s, and to date little research has questioned whether and how works of literature reflect the reality described by linguists. One such informal examination was conducted in conjunction with a "Women's Language and Literature" course at the University of Tennessee where students examined the texts of two plays, "The Little Foxes" (l939) and "Another Part of the Forest" (1946). Their detailed analysis provided strong evidence that dramatic literature is a rich source of information to test the hypothesis that language shows men have power and superiority, whereas women are often defined as passive, inferior and invisible. (Contains 14 references.) (NH)