Subversion Of Patriarchal Authority: A Foucauldian Interpretation Of The Female Images In Harold Pinter's Early Plays

Conflict between males and females is an essential theme in Pinter's gender plays in the early time. Males want to control and dominate females through verbal violence to consolidate their leading position and masculine authority. From passive acceptance to awakening and then resistance, females fight against the masculine hegemony through language and body as weapons to obtain power and dominance and establish their own identities. This thesis analyzes the process of females' resistance to male aggression and the subversion of the masculine authority in terms of Foucault's theory of power, discourse and subject to reveal the complicated power conflicts between different genders in modern society.Besides an introduction and a conclusion, this thesis is composed of three chapters. The introduction illustrates the status quo on researches of Pinter's plays both at home and abroad as well as introduces the theoretical framework and structure of the thesis. Chapter One discusses the passive and weak female images' deprivation of discourse and freedom under the patriarchal authority in The Room and The Birthday Party, pointing out that under the male dominance they are doomed to become victims for their passiveness and weakness. Chapter Two analyzes the females' awakening and resistance to the masculine hegemony in A Slight Ache and The Homecoming, revealing that courageously resisting and fighting for power and identities through effective methods will be success. Chapter Three interprets the process of the subversion of the masculine authority, and concludes that the females successfully get the dominance in the patriarchal society. The conclusion part points out that Pinter's description of power struggle between males and females is a revelation to the subversion of masculine hegemony, which implies the development and maturity of his thoughts and also reveals that power exists everywhere and is changeable all the time.