Traces of First and Second wave feminist thoughts in the writings of Adrienne Rich, Doris Lessing and Caryl Churchill

Abstract

The thesis aims to develop a dialogue between feminist theoretical traditions and literary texts by women writers from the mid-20th century western tradition. The thesis will focus on the first and second waves of Feminist Movement. It argues that across different time and context of the western world, women’s theoretical and creative writing deal with certain topics that can be both universal and specific to women across borders. The topic includes: women’s subjugated position in patriarchal society, their prejudiced representation in the male-tradition of literature, women’s limited access to education and the absence of women’s literary traditions. The authors are also concerned with how women across generations are bound to take part in domestic roles. This thesis explores how women writers have utilized different literary genres to give voice to women’s ‘common’ concerns of living lives with limited opportunities. For the theoretical analysis, I will focus on the pioneers of western feminist tradition; namely- Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) and Kate Millett’s (1934) who are acknowledged worldwide as praiseworthy feminist influences. The paper will emphasis on the four worthy of mention books; viz. A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792), A Room of One’s Own (1929), The Second Sex (1949) and Sexual Politics (1970). The literary texts through which I will establish my analysis are “Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law” by Adrienne Rich in 1963, a short story “To Room Nineteen” by Doris Lessing in 1978 and the play Top Girls by Caryl Churchill in 1982. Therefore, the thesis intends to analyze the key thoughts of the revolutionary legends of Feminist movement and analyze woman’s life based on some exceptional literary genres of English Literature.