A Feminist Reading Of Ship Of Fools

Katherine Anne Porter is a significant woman writer in modern American literary history. Ship of Fools is her only novel. While it is mentioned, the critics are inclined to discuss artistic features or writing techniques of the novel, neglecting its significance of originality for women's writing as well as its feminist theme. Following some feminist critical theories and methodology and with the reference to the historical background on the eve of the Second Feminist Movement, the thesis attempts to reveal the contribution the novel made in probing into the essence of women's special experience and awaking their feminist consciousness, so as to bring forth more studies on Porter's feminist ideology. My thesis falls into five parts: The first part is an introduction to the feminist critical theories and methodologies the thesis was grounded on as well as a brief account of the commentaries on Ship of Fools. It also makes clear the writing purpose and perspective of the thesis. Of the criticisms on Porter, not many are concerned with a thorough and detailed analysis on Ship of Fools from the feminist perspective, for the feminist color of this novel is obscured not only by the ambiguity in Porter's attitude toward feminism, but the special political background against which this novel is written —the period of the 1920s-60s when this novel was in the making is also the time when the feminist movement in US falls into the down curve between the "First Wave"and the "Second Wave". So, having a survey on Ship of Fools from the feminist viewpoint is believed to be beneficial to a comprehensive reading of this novel. Chapter One deals with the background of the novel, Ship of Fools. It is probed into Porter's personal experiences and the social influences of the time. Porter derives most of her inspiration of art from her daily life. She is brought up as a docile Southern lady but meanwhile she has an unyielding character to fight against men's contempt for women. Her paradox in life is reflected in the novel. Porter finishes the novel after a prolongation, which is the result of the unsatisfactory situation of woman's literary activities and Porter's intention to subvert the conventions phallus literature advocated in writing a novel. The unconventionality of Ship of Fools implies Porter's rebellion against the creative rules confined by phallus critical criteria. Chapter Two, a mainstay of this thesis, makes a detailed exploration on how Porter exposes the hardship women suffer as "otherness"by transforming then patriarchal society into the macrocosmic world –Vera. Meanwhile, Porter's feminist consciousness is manifested by some female characters she creates in the novel. This chapter consists of three sections. Section one discloses the marginalized status by the delineation of man's misogyny in Vera and condemns their sexism, which stems from patriarchal ideology as well as its perniciousness; Section two is the analysis of the female characters in Ship of Fools by way of classifying them into three groups; Section three makes a brief summary for the issues Porter takes into consideration by the characterization for various females, i.e. the origin of the fact that women are under the oppression of patriarchy, the gender relationship in love and marriage and sisterhood. Chapter Three is the revelation of the function of the stream of consciousness as a principle narrative technique in the novel. Employing stream of consciousness, Porter makes further exploration into the inner world of the female characters, portraying the overlooked or distorted experience of life of women. Porter's feminist viewpoint is also highlighted in this unconventional technique. Conclusion, the last part of the thesis, makes an objective assessment of the rich feminist connotation in Ship of Fools and affirms its significance in female literary tradition in referring to the ideology as well as artistic achievement. The author of the thesis holds that, on the eve of the Second Feminist Movement, Porter offers her sincere consideration on the fate of women by way of writing a significant novel. With this literary form as a powerful weapon, Porter exposes women's plight of being relegated to a subordinate position in the early 20th century and subverts the traditional value system imposed upon women by a masculine culture. Porter's unfailing effort serves as an effective catalyzer in inspiring women, who were...