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Anti-Possession: A Feminist Reading Of The Female Images In Possession

Posted on:2011-01-26Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:C ChenFull Text:PDF
GTID:2155360305462594Subject:English Language and Literature
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Since the publication of Possession:A Romance in 1990, Byatt (1936-) and her works have been hot issues both at home and abroad. At present, studies of Possession are mainly on the perspectives of Narratives and Feminism. However, there is seldom any research based on the systematic clarification of female images in this text.Through text reading, this thesis tends to analyze the various female images in Possession with the utilization of feminism theories, in order to reveal Byatt's views on feminism. This thesis falls into three chapters. In Chapter One, the confined images are analyzed from the perspective of females'living environments:Byatt manages to save females'lives and souls in the confined world that she has created, and helps females regain their dignity that is locked in chains. Chapter Two focuses on females' blur images:Byatt tries to reveal females'inner vividness behind the vague images through their writings and article works in the text. Chapter Three is mainly devoted to the analysis of the demonized females:through the sculpture of female demons, Byatt conveys that the demonized features under the male discourse are in fact the most unique and sparkling characteristics in females.Through the descriptions of the three layers in female images, Byatt intends to reveal their living conditions in three different space-times. Meanwhile, she indicates:men's possession of women is just apparent and limited, and the so-called "complete possession" is in fact an illusory male discourse. The females created by Byatt can never be completely possessed, for their psychological conditions are still vivid and vigorous. The various female images in Possession not only show Byatt's challenge to the males' hegemony in discourse, but also reveal females' growth from the original vulnerable living status to the psychological self-realization and social self-autonomy. Thus, Possession is a female's text of "anti-possessed" narrative that is against male's hegemony in discourse.
Keywords/Search Tags:Byatt, Possession, female images, confined, blur, demonized
PDF Full Text Request
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