A.S.Byatt:Women’s Living Condition In Her Possession

A.S.Byatt is one of the most excellent British female novelists. Her novel Possession, published in 1990, won Booker Prize-the highest prize of British literature. In the novel Byatt portrays many female characters transcending from ancient times, through Victorian age to modern times. There are four important characters in Possession: Victorian poets-Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Henry Ash and modern literary scholars-Maud Bailey and Roland. Two different loving stories are developed around the four characters in this novel.On the basis of feminist theory, this thesis aims at analyzing the females’living condition. It firstly analyzes the living condition of sacrificial women in Possession. Ellen and Val are two representative women. Although they are sacrificial women, their fate is different. Through analyzing them, we can obtain that most of women contribute to their family and their marriage. They sacrifice themselves and lose their autonomy and independence. Next, it mainly discusses the living condition of new women in Possession. LaMotte and Maud are representatives of the new women. They can bravely pursue their careers as well as their identities, but it is difficult to achieve their aims.Byatt presents many tales which are interpreted from the perspective of females. The women in the tales are all wise and beautiful. They want to live a kind of life as they had hoped. But they cannot control their fate in the old time. In order to get freedom, they revolt and make a great effort without cease. Then, this thesis explores the relationship between women and men. It is apparent that sexuality and possessive love are obstacles to women’s success. Females are in the marginal position in patriarchal society. Faced with the society, they have no choices. Besides, the thesis explores the relationship between women and women. In Possession, LaMotte and Blanche live together, and they want to experiment with a kind of new life that women can live a good life without men, but their ending is sad. In the Victorian time, there are many social rules to constrain them. Through comparing the relationship between women and women, and the social stratum that women belong to, we can see that the women’s living condition is miserable. They are constrained by men and social customs. Therefore, women’s status is low. They are the "other" in the society, which is similar to nature. Women and nature are appendages of the society. With the progress of society, women’s position is changing and their living condition is improving. They can bravely seek their career and dream. However, facing up to family and career, they still have many problems to be solved.Byatt portrays many characters of ancient times, Victorian age and modern society who are bound up with kindred relationship and stories to reestablish a long lost female history.In the end, the present thesis restates the feminist connotation of the novel. It explores the relationships between women and women, women and men, as well as women and nature, which reflect female’s living condition in different times. Byatt expresses her idea that women can live alone without men, and make their own voices. In order to adapt to the society, women must step forward and write their own history.