A Feminist Approach To The French Lieutenant's Woman

Among his large volume of literary works, it is The French Lieutenant's Woman that has earned John Fowles (1926- ) several awards. Since its publication, it has aroused heated discussion and generated a variety of literary criticism both at home and abroad. This thesis attempts to decode the novel, from a feminist perspective, with an exploration of Fowles's presentation of the unequal relationship between men and women, in an effort to reveal his evasive recognition of male power and personal concern about male.The dissertation consists of five chapters. In Chapter One, a brief introduction to Fowles's life, literary career and The French Lieutenant's Woman are included. Coming next is a critical review in terms of its technical concerns and thematic ones. Aspects of narrative techniques have already been commented on by critics at home and abroad in a detailed and comprehensive manner. But with regard to its thematic concerns which mainly focus on the existential and feminist approaches, the existing literary criticisms tend to be one-sided, particularly in view of the feminist approach. Fowles's portrayal of Sarah as an awakening feminist has been recognized by a number of feminist critics. However, the perception of Sarah as a role model may be one-sided, and therefore, my dissertation tries to elucidate on the unequal relationship between male and female from a feminist approach. The angel I have chosen may make up for the deficiency in this aspect of feminist approach.Chapter Two, Three and Four compose the body, offering an interpretation of the text. In Chapter Two, the purposeful presentation of Sarah as an enigma and a symbol of sex exhibits Fowles's ambiguous unfairness in the relationship between male and female. The distance the narrator adopts from Sarah is designed to satisfy the demands of male imagination which goes further to press the role of a sexual stimulant on Sarah only to put her well and truly within the bounds of the male sexual imagination. The abnormal male psyche mirrors male fears about the potential threat posed and the possibility symbolized by female. Fowles's primary concern about men rather than women is reflected though an analysis of the imbalanced reciprocal impact. The beneficial impact of Sarah on Charles and the indispensability of Charles in Sarah's life show the indiscrepancy Fowles adopts in sexual status and relationships. The role of Sarah as a catalyst and her penis-envying come as a consequence of Fowles's recognition of male power and female vulnerability. Fowles provides a possible solution to female vulnerability by means of resorting to male power. Thus, in Chapter Four, Sarah's vulnerability, characterized by her status of inferiority and otherness, is closely studied. Such a shift of view once again reveals Fowles's masculine tendency.Chapter Five comprises a summary of Fowles's presentation of the relationship between male and female and come to the conclusion that the particular masculine tendency and attributes Fowles exhibits enable him to fall short of being a feminist.