An Analysis Of Space And Subjectivity In Marilyn French's The Women's Room

The Women's Room is a typical feminist work,which is the masterpiece of Marilyn French,a famous American writer.In this novel,the description of women in family space and social space accounts for a large proportion.Loss,pursuit and reconstruction of women subjectivity in this novel are showed in spaces.Space implies power,discipline and punishment,and it is the basis for women to find themselves.This thesis takes the relationship between space and subjectivity in Marilyn French's The Womens Room as the research object,and adopts the research method of combining spatial theory with feminist theory to analyze how the women lose subjectivity in family and social space,how the women construct subjectivity,and explores the power relationship in space.In addition,it exposes the discrimination and injustice on women in patriarchal society under capitalism in the middle of twentieth century America.Even though.Women constantly balance the relationship between self and external space,realize the construction of subjectivity,and gradually move towards the road of self-realization.This thesis consists of five chapters.The first chapter is an introduction to the author and the novel,literature review,method,purpose and significance.The second chapter analyzes how the women in the novel lose subjectivity in family space and social space.Women in the novel are always in a submissive position in the family space,they have no right to choose and they can only obey;in the social space,they are often discriminated,disciplined and punished,which makes them gradually lose their subjectivity.Chapter three analyzes how the women escape from family space,then construct their own female space and subjectivity.Faced with bonds and regulations,Mira,the heroine,and her friends gradually awaken.They escape from the control of their parents,the shackle of marriage,and strive to construct their own space in society,then establish the independent spiritual space.Chapter four explores the limitations of the construction of subjectivity.The novel is an open ending rather than the ultimate victory of women's struggle.The author's setting is influenced by patriarchal society and capitalist society,feminist movement and her life experience.The fifth chapter is the conclusion.By showing the process of losing and reconstructing subjectivity in space,it demonstrates that striving for women's space equality is a long-term battle.Even in the face of social injustice and discrimination,women should try their best to rebuild their spiritual space in the transformation process between family and social space,construct their subjectivity gradually and assert their independence and freedom.