| Doris Lessing is a very famous and distinguished woman writer in England. Her works always rest on reflecting the lives of women in modern society. The Diaries of Jane Somers (1984) is just this kind of novel which describes the life of women.Rich researches on The Diaries of Jane Somers have been done by many scholars from various perspectives. And they have already made great achievements. This thesis aims at employing feminist theories to analyze the dilemma of modern middle-aged and aged women. Meanwhile, this thesis also explores the growth of Lessing’s feminist consciousness.Firstly, the author gives an overview of feminism and talks about its influence on the change of women’s status and women’s writing. Lessing, as a female writer, her literature creation is promoted by the feminism, while she also makes contributions to the development of feminism. Secondly, from the feminist perspective, the dilemma of the middle-aged and aged women is explored. In The Diaries of Jane Somers, Lessing gives a full picture of middle-aged and aged women’s life. For the middle-aged Jane, without the sense of family responsibility, though she gains the freedom and independence seemingly, she is still in trouble with frustration and emptiness. For the aged Maudie, because of the discrimination from the society and her family, in addition to her own self-isolation she is trapped in poverty and loneliness. Thirdly, the author discusses the solutions for women to step out of their dilemma. Compared with some other radical feminists, Lessing is more calm and objective. She emphasizes the positive aspects of family life and mother-daughter relationship on women’s liberation. Meanwhile, she also takes her view that women’s self-realization needs the whole society to participate. The last part is the conclusion. The Diaries of Jane Somers manifests the growth of Lessing’s feminist consciousness, which may cast a light for the development of feminism. |
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