The Urban Female’s Dilemma And Extrication In Oates’s Novel

As a contemporary famous American woman writer, Oates is known as the " Faulkner who wearing a skirt". Her numerous works showed real contemporary America to people, and recorded the psychological state and dynamic ideas of people in each social historical stage faithfully. She devoted much attention to the spirit and psychological problems of people in America, and to some profound issues such as the fate and nature of human beings. Her works provided an infinite interpreting space for the readers.This thesis aimed at analyzing the urban female images in oates’novels Them, Missing Mom, Middle Age. A Rommance trough comprehensive-text-analysis and vertical-horizontal-comparison approach, thus reveal their physical and mental problems with city life. It focuses on exploring the reason why they were in dilemma of this kind. The thesis also discusses the process of self-extrication of women from different classes in different ages. It is expected to reflect the changes of history and the rhythm of times by focusing on this particular group of females who lived in the cities, in so doing it can reveal the continuous awakening process of woman. It can also provide some references for the resolution of the survival and developing problems of the urban females in our country by researching the living status of females in American.This thesis consists of five parts.The introduction introduces Oates and her works, summarizes the current situation of this project at home and abroad, and points out the important significance and value of this thesis.The first chapter is divided into four sections. The preceding three parts analyzed the marriage dilemma of urban females in three novels:the first section is devoted to Loretta and Maureen’s marital status in Them, and points out that they represented the women at the bottom of the society suffered from a dilemma both in economic and spiritual in marriage. The second part analyzes the middle-class female’s marriage statua by taking Camilla and Abigail in Middle Age as an example. The third part points out that the mother Gewen in Missing Mom representing the middle-class women, and their marriage finally came to an end with their forbearing.The last part points out that because of the economic or spiritual reasons, they can’t get happiness in marriage, and were trapped in dilemma.The second chapter mainly reveals the identity dilemma of urban female, the lower class women tended to regard themselves as a " woman who waiting for the man for their whole life ", believing that they can’t live without man. They silently endured the violence from the male under the pressure of survival, and in turn learned to use the same violence on other females. Their offspring cried out the wish to be "the upright Maureen", and desired to find the ego. While the middle-aged upper class women encountered another crisis:the absence of their children, and the loss of family life caused by gradual aging which eventually led to the alienation of self in desolation. The middle class women suffered from material and spirit trouble under the immense pressure of city life. They did not agree with the traditional social ethical values, unable to build a very close relationship with their family members, thus they had to claim their presence in the seemingly maverick punk way. This twisted way of life suggested that the middle class women is in a confusion of their identification.The third chapter discusses the ways to solve the dilemma based on the first two chapters. When faced with the marriage predicament and their identity crisis, the female of three classes used different methods to achieve self-liberation:Some protest the violence of society silently, regarding surviving as their biggest victory; while some regain a meaningful life in a quest for romanticism; some eventually returns to her own place by searching for affection and remodeling their value and ethical morality.In the Conclusion, the summary of the whole thesis is provided, along with the analysis of the significance and the value of Oates’ three novels. Finally, some suggestions are offered on the future research of Oates in our country.