A Feminist Reading Of The French Lieutenant’s Woman

John Frowles is one of the most important novelists in the contemporary Britishliterary,“The French Lieutenant’s Woman” is his classic, since its publication, the novel wonthe praise of readers and literary critics, was hailed a timeless classic for the post-modernfictions. Around Fowles’s fascinating delineation of the heroine, Sarah, many criticsdiscussed it from different angles. This thesis tends to analyze the heroine Sarah in theperspective of feminism.This thesis consists of five parts:Introduction includes a brief illustration on John Fowles, his literary achievements, andthe story of “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”. Coming next is a critical review in terms ofits technical concerns and thematic ones at home and abroad in detailed and comprehensivemanner. This paper, from the perspective of feminism, analyzes the heroine’s rebelliondetailedly from the pursuit of independence, equality and freedom, and describes thetheoretical and practical significance of this thesis.The first chapter analyzes the image of Sarah from the feminist pursuing their ownindependence, made Sarah different from the image of traditional women. As women livingin the Victorian era, Sarah like other women was bounded by the age and the class. However,she is different and courageous to pursue economic and spiritual independence. This chapteranalyzes from Sarah as a governess, Rossetti’s model as well as her unique understanding oflove and anti-religion, embodying her spirit of constant pursuit of self and independence.The second chapter analyzes heroine Sarah from the perspective of the point of pursuingequality with men, and expresses the heroine’s subversion of male hegemony and theresistance of the male discipline, as well as exchanging ideas and thoughts with avant-gardeartists of patriarchal society, more lets her walk in the forefront of the times. She is a bizarre,rebellious, requiring liberation and restless modern woman, we can see the modern feministconsciousness of the20th century from her. She dares to choose and has courage to pursue.That all made her beyond traditional culture woman.The third chapter from the perspective of the pursuit of female freedom, Sarah’s image isa complete subversion of the traditional image of women. She pursues physical and mental freedom, constantly looking for self, self-discovery and returning to herself. In portraying thecharacter of Sarah’s image, Fowles always inadvertently reveals the mysterious and sexyatmosphere. It is her mystery and sexy that fascinated Charles deeply. She is againsttraditions and customs such as Mrs. Poulteney’ accusations. Sarah has very modern attitudetoward sex, and thinks that women should also be the subject of desire. She boldly pursuesher true love while rejects the courtship of Charles, Sarah’“abnormal” thoughts andbehaviors are precisely because of her relentless pursuit of freedom. Sarah’s choice breaks theshackles of the traditional society, and ultimately defends her own freedom.The conclusion derives that Sarah revolutionizes the traditional image of women inVictoria and explores the enhancement of Sarah’s self-consciousness and her everlastingpursuit of independence, gender equality and freedom constantly behind the self-imposedexile and rebelling tradition. Sarah finally gains her freedom，and is an outstandingrepresentative of feminism.