A Feminist Study Of David Lodge's Campus Trilogy

David Lodge is a contemporary English writer and critic enjoying reputation in the world.As a literary critic,he puts forward insightful literary theories;as a writer,he creates a colorful campus world using his rich imagination,practicing his own literary theories with his literary creation.His representative work "Campus Trilogy" tells stories of many scholars,especially a lot of female scholars who share different characteristics.The thesis attempts to analyze Lodge's "Campus Trilogy" from feminist perspective.Feminist movement springs up in the second half of the nineteenth century,aiming at opposing the discrimination against women,striving for equality between men and women and working on enabling women to gain equal social status and rights with men.Along with the development of feminist movement,the theory of feminist literary criticism enriches unceasingly.Simone de Beauvoir claims that the femininity is not natural,but is constructed by society.Virginia Woolf explores the history and present situation of women's literary creation and emphasizes that women should struggle for economic independence.John Stuart Mill thinks that the subjection of women is primarily political and psychological in origin.Although many scholars have studied the "Campus Trilogy" from different perspectives so far,the study from feminist perspective is deficiency.The thesis includes three parts.The first part of introduction mainly introduces the related background information of the paper,including Lodge's major works and main ideas,the writing background and main contents of "Campus Trilogy",the related theories of feminist criticism,the research status of "Campus Trilogy" and the main contents of this thesis.The second part of body includes three chapters.Chapter One discusses women's subjection to traditional patriarchy.Some women's whole life is taking care of their husband and children and gradually become "angels in the house".Some women have lost the autonomy of their body and become consumer goods of men.In social life as education,academia and work,women are often treated unfairly and they have to bend to traditional patriarchy.Chapter Two analyzes women's subversion of traditional relationship between men and women.With the deepening of sexual liberation movement,people's sexual concept becomes more open.Nonmarital cohabitation,illegitimacy,extramarital affair and other phenomena which are regarded as taboos emerge constantly.Women could control their body and transform from Eros' of men to masters of their own.Sex is no longer seen as the companion of marriage,and many women begin to enjoy the pleasure of sex.Chapter Three mainly explores the construction of women's subjectivity.Many women in "Campus Trilogy"have extraordinary ability and even surpass men.They do not attach themselves to men and strive for nice works by their efforts thus obtain independence in economy and spirit.The third part of conclusion reaffirms the major arguments of the thesis.Through the analysis of feminist literary theory,Lodge's "Campus Trilogy" reflects the unfavorable condition of women in the traditional patriarchal society,affirms their untiring efforts to jump out of the Other position,and commends their pursuit of economic independence and spiritual freedom.