Evolution of feminism in English literature from 19th to 20th century

Abstract

This thesis will be concerned with the evolution of feminism in English literature from the 19th to 20th century. Feminism encompasses social movements, political movements and ideologies that aim to define and create social, political and economic equality of sexes. There were waves of feminist movements during the 19th and 20th century and women’s position and roles in the literature also developed as it developed in society. For my thesis, I will examine Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as literature from the 19th century and Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath as literature from the 20th century. I will use the feminist theory to analyze how the writers portrayed the female characters in their works and how the roles of women developed throughout the centuries in literature alongside society.