Seeking For The Integrity Of Life A Feminist Analysis Of Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing is a prolific woman writer with great fame in contemporary England. In 1962, she began to enjoy a worldwide reputation in the literary world because of the publication of her masterpiece, The Golden Notebook. The Golden Notebook is also known as the twin sister of The Second Sex by the feminist de Beauvoir. As soon as the work was published, it was welcomed by the feminists of all countries because of the true description of the living conditions and struggles of the females. The Golden Notebook narrates the experiences of the free women, Anna and Molly, who seek for freedom. This thesis tries to use the relevant theories of feminism to analyze their experiences. It consists of five parts, with three chapters coming between the introduction and the conclusion.The introduction provides the basic information about the author Doris Lessing and the novel The Golden Notebook, and makes a review of the researches on the novel both at home and abroad. Besides, the introduction part also presents the relevant theories of feminism, making theoretical preparation for the coming parts.Chapter One elaborates on the plights of women in The Golden Notebook. Although women in the novel long for the economic independence in the traditional patriarchal society, they have strong emotional attachment to men. They also demand the rights to vote and can take part in political activities, but they finally become disappointed with politics. The relationship between women and children is always a key issue of feminist movement. Feminist movement succeeded in giving women custody of their children. However, after getting the custody of children, free women can not establish harmonious relationship with their children. Feminist movement liberates free women from marriage and the kitchens so that they can have time to work, but there are bottlenecks in their career. On the way to freedom, women have encountered many difficulties, but they adopt different ways to deal with these difficulties and seek for a complete life.Chapter Two analyzes the attempted solutions of women in the novel. These women are categorized into two types who try different ways to step off the plights. Free women represented by Anna and Molly pay close attention to women's subjective status. They break loose from marriage and carry on equal competition with men in matters of custody, politics and career. These free women despise the traditional restriction and oppression exerted on them. They bravely break down the constraints of male power culture. What they do is a positive way to step off the plights. On the other hand, the dissatisfied housewives take Marion as the representative. Marion doesn't roll with the punches like housewives in other literature works. She revolts against unequal treatment the traditional society imposes on women by the negative way of intemperance. Although this negative revolt is of little consequence in face of the frustrating life and unfaithful husband, it is still a way to gain self-identity and voice. So positive or negative, it is an important way for women to gain self-identity.Chapter Three studies the final choices of women in The Golden Notebook. After going through the confusion of life, women, whether she is a free woman or a dissatisfied housewife, began to make reasonable choices. Anna walks out of self-closure and her pursuit for self-identity continues. Molly returns to family for stability and security. Marion finds the meaning of life with the help of Tommy. They come together because of true love. Marion walks out of one family and then goes into a new one.The thesis ends with a conclusion drawn from the preceding studies that the so called freedom proposed in the novel by both free women and dissatisfied housewives is a Utopia dream of women, that to achieve a more harmonious bisexual relationship based on the mutual understanding is a very important way for women to seek for freedom. Doris Lessing has always been concerned about the fate of modern women in her literary career. She also has sympathy for the dissatisfied housewives who have long been ignored and marginalized in literature. In The Golden Notebook Lessing records the troubles and the endeavors of women. As women's evolution is a long process, Doris Lessing's mission will continue.