A Study Of The Female Subjectivity In The Women’s Room

Marilyn French(1929-2009),a famous American feminist writer,published The Women’s Room in 1977,which is a typical feminist work and the representative work of Marilyn French.In her childhood,she was treated differently from men due to her gender.It makes her to explore and reflect on women’s issues.Because of her experience,her works focus on the plight and existence status under patriarchal society and how to construct female subjectivity.Marilyn French’s writing style is delicate and simple,she analyzes the real situation of women by using easy-to-understand and daily dialogues between characters and daily dialogues.The book reflects women’s real life and is regarded as a fictional version of The Second Sex.Based on the feminism of Beauvoir,this paper analyzes in depth the causes and manifestations of the main character who loses her subjectivity in The Women’s Room as well as the ways to establish female subjectivity.As a pioneer of feminism,Beauvoir put forward the theory of feminism based on existentialism,historical materialism,biology,and psychoanalysis.And she used the method of comprehensive commentary to meticulously analyze various aspects and stages of women’s lives,thus elucidating women’s problems more profoundly.Interpreting of subjectivity in The Women’s Room from a feminist perspective can enrich our understanding of women and enable them to find their subjectivity.This paper examines Mira’s dilemmas and tribulations in constructing her subjectivity through feminism,seeking to escape the status of the other.The paper is divided into three parts: the introduction,the body,and the conclusion.The first part is the introduction which gives a brief overview of Marilyn French’s life and the current status of research by scholars at home and abroad.It also gives a brief introduction of feminism and points out the purpose and significance of studying the work.The second part is the main body which involves three parallel chapters.The first chapter explores the manifestation of female subjectivity,i.e.the existential dilemma faced by Mira.The first chapter analyzes the dilemma of women’s survival from the perspective of biology and femininity.It analyzes women’s physiological dilemmas and cognitive dilemmas.The physiological characteristics of women make themselves in the position of objects since feudal society,subservient and dependent on men.The difference between the sexes has kept Mira in a dependent position for a long time.The lack of female self-awareness makes Mira lose the awareness of constructing their subjectivity and femininity makes women construct their subjectivity according to men’s perceptions.The second chapter explores the reason for the absence of female subjectivity.The second chapter uses historical materialism and the other to analyze the causes of women’s loss of subjectivity.It discusses two aspects: the oppression from patriarchy and the socio-cultural dilemma.The oppression of patriarchal society makes women lose their self-worth and face economic and class dilemmas.Women also face family and religious dilemmas in the socio-cultural area.The third chapter discusses how Mira constructs their subjectivity under difficulties and oppression from the perspective of binary opposites and self-transcendence.Through the awakening of self-awareness and their development,Mira has gained the opportunity and right to construct their subjectivity and free choice.The third part is the conclusion.It summarizes and concludes the whole paper.It outlines the process from the absence of female subjectivity to its construction in The Women’s Room.Also,the section further summarizes the study’s results,research implications,and inspirations.Based on feminism,this paper analyzes the manifestation of the situation of female subjectivity,the reasons for the absence of female subjectivity and the process of constructing their subjectivity.It reveals the connotation and creative value of feminism in the novel through the analysis of female subjectivity in The Women’s Room.In terms of individual meaning,Mira,the heroine of the novel,succeeds in constructing her subjectivity,escaping the shackles of the patriarchal society and finding the value of women’s survival in the society and the way to survive.In terms of group meaning,as one of women,Mira’s successful construction of her subjectivity provides a ray of hope and a way out for women in difficulties.