Female Images In Saul Bellow’s Novels

After the Second World War, a large number of excellent Jewish novelists emerged in America, among whom Saul Bellow was one of the key figures. He produced twelve novels, two novellas, four short story collections, three non-fictions, one play, and one translation work. His works mainly focus on the spiritual crisis of the intellectuals and convey deep concerns about the human fate.The success of his novels is not only from the content, but also rooted in distinguished characters. In his fictional world, males are in dominant positions whereas female positions are rather minor. Although his female images are usually presented through the eyes of heroes or the third person’s descriptions, they play important roles in comprehending the contents and heroes’ thoughts. Female characters could mean a lot to the main characters, and “perhaps his [Bellow’s] greatest gift is for creating subsidiary and minor characters”(Bloom 7). Due to the limited analysis of female types and insufficient selection of fictions, previous studies on the categories of female images in Bellow’s novels are in a primary stage. Focused on Bellow’s Dangling Man, Seize the Day, Herzog, and Humboldt’s Gift, this thesis attempts to have a more comprehensive analysis not only on female images, but also on the influential factors and significance of these female images.The thesis has five chapters. Chapter One is Introduction, which states the research background and significance of female images in Bellow’s novels. It also contains literature review, a brief summary of current studies on female images in Bellow’s novels, and the structure of this thesis. Chapter Two discusses the classifications of female characters from two aspects— the roles of female characters and their personalities. It further identifies and illustrates the classifications of female characters in different novels. Chapter Three analyzes the influential factors of Bellow’s female images. There are three major factors—subordinate position, diversity and development of female images. These factors are discussed respectively with Bellow’s emotional life, his Jewish experience, and the development of Feminist Movements. Chapter Four discusses the significance of female images in Bellow’s novels from two aspects: significance on the plot and significance on the theme. Chapter Five summarizes the major findings of the thesis. It also points out the limitations and provides some suggestions for further studies.