Women Characters' Self-realization In A. S. Byatt's Possession

Anonia Susan Byatt, as a contemporary British woman writer and literary critic, is keen on woman's value and self-realization from the female perspective.Based on the Liberal Feminism and Maslow's Need-hierarchy theory, this thesis mainly analyzes Byatt's master piece, Possession. By analyzing the three Victorian women LaMotte, Blanche and Ellen as well as the 20th-century women Maud, Val and Beatrice, it intends to illustrate individuals actively pursuing their own desire and ambition, as well as achieving self-realization. In Possession, on the one hand, the Victorian women LaMotte and Blanche own strong female self-consciousness, because of confronting a lot of restrictions in marriage and occupation, and ultimately end with tragically results. On the other hand, Maud, Val and Beatrice live in the 20 th century also face the dilemma. Maud and Val actively seek breakthrough and change, and strive to obtain the success of career and love, but Beatrice passively accepts other people's arrangements, which causes to lose herself.The body part of the thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter one intends to discuss women who come from different background in the Victorian age and 20 th century confronting different obstacles in the process of achieving self-realization. Chapter two focuses on women's different attitudes to combat the difficulties and the approaches to quest self-realization. Chapter three strives to analyze the women's negative and positive results in the Victorian age and 20 th century. Finally, there comes the conclusion that in Possession Victorian women LaMotte and Blanche fail to obtain self-realization for social reasons. Three Women Maud, Val and Beatrice, in the 20 th century, live in a more enlightened modern society. But it does not represent that all women in the more open society are able to realize aspirations and get self-realization, and also depend on women's choices.