This term paper deals with the topic of Women's Rights in the 1960s in Britain and the United States by especially examining abortion rights issues. The statements used in this term paper are supported by the novel "Changing Places" by the English author and literary critic David Lodge.
The Abortion Act of 1967 in Britain was a central occasion in the Women's Liberation Movement, as women were now free to choose between keeping a child or aborting it, even though an abortion required certain reasons. But this was not the only change in the Women's Liberation Movement. Women started to get more rights in keeping a part of the money their husbands gave them. Women furthermore started to get involved in politics, since the first female Secretary of State in Britain was appointed in 1968 and the youngest female Minister-President in 1969. But there was still inequality in payment, job opportunities, and the educational system. Discrimination on the basis of sex was no rarity, and women had to fight for equal treatment.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Changing Places: A short summary
3. The Women’s Liberation Movement
4. Abortion and it’s issues
5. Representation of women and their rights in Changing Places
6. Women seen by Morris Zapp
7. Women seen by Phillip Swallow
8. Summary
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the historical and cultural representation of women's rights in the 1960s, specifically focusing on the intersection of the Women's Liberation Movement and abortion rights, as portrayed through the characters and narratives in David Lodge's novel, Changing Places.
- Historical context of the 1960s Women's Liberation Movement in Britain and the US.
- Analysis of the 1967 Abortion Act and its social implications.
- Character-specific analysis of female representation through the perspectives of Morris Zapp and Phillip Swallow.
- Examination of gender performance, societal expectations, and economic inequality (Gender Wage Gap).
Excerpt from the Book
Representation of women and their rights in Changing Places
Since the time, the action in the novel takes place, is 1969 the influence of the Sexual Revolution in the mid-sixties becomes clear when analyzing the behaviour of women. Especially young women stand up for themselves and instead of acting suppressed, they start being self-confident. Desireé Zapp for example says she likes living alone and wants a divorce to have more space in her bed and states Morris Zapp as a whiskey-drinking-man (Changing 68). It is noticeable, that women no longer have the appearance, men expect them to have, but the one they like to have, which becomes clear, when Phillip Swallow has the chance to see the unshaved armpits of Desireé (ibid.). Desireé furthermore tends to use expressive language, for example when describing “the same fucking view” (Changing 69) one has in Plotinus. Women now are portrayed more intelligent and thoughtful with Desireé saying, that
Each generation is educating itself to earn enough money to educate the next generation, and nobody is actually doing anything with this education. You’re knocking yourself out to educate your children so they can knock themselves out educating their children (ibid.).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the significance of women's rights and abortion legislation in the 1960s while identifying the primary research goal of analyzing these issues through David Lodge's Changing Places.
2. Changing Places: A short summary: Provides a synopsis of the novel's plot, focusing on the six-month academic exchange between protagonists Morris Zapp and Phillip Swallow.
3. The Women’s Liberation Movement: Documents the historical foundations of feminist progress, including the 1967 Abortion Act, the Dagenham strike, and the founding of the National Organization for Women.
4. Abortion and it’s issues: Analyzes the medical, legal, and social criteria surrounding the 1967 Abortion Act in Britain and the subsequent rise of "abortion tourism."
5. Representation of women and their rights in Changing Places: Explores how female characters in the novel reflect the shifting social dynamics and self-confidence emerging from the Sexual Revolution.
6. Women seen by Morris Zapp: Examines Morris Zapp's chauvinistic outlook and his tendency to objectify and dismiss women’s struggles and biological realities.
7. Women seen by Phillip Swallow: Contrasts Phillip Swallow's initial traditional attitudes with his eventual transition toward more equitable behavior by the end of the narrative.
8. Summary: Concludes that the novel serves as a mirror for 1960s societal shifts, reflecting changing attitudes toward independence, marriage, and bodily autonomy.
Keywords
Changing Places, Women's Rights, Abortion Act 1967, Feminism, David Lodge, 1960s, Gender Wage Gap, Sexual Revolution, Literature Analysis, Women's Liberation Movement, Patriarchal Structures, Abortion, Social Inequality, Female Agency, Literary Representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the representation of women's rights, with a specific focus on abortion and social equality, in the 1960s as depicted in David Lodge's novel Changing Places.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the impact of the 1967 Abortion Act, the evolution of the Women's Liberation Movement, the Gender Wage Gap, and the varying attitudes of male characters toward female autonomy.
What is the main research question or goal?
The research aims to determine how women and their rights, particularly regarding abortion, were portrayed in the novel Changing Places within the historical context of Britain and the United States in the late 1960s.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The paper employs a comparative literary analysis, investigating the two differing cultural viewpoints (British and American) presented in the novel while contextualizing them with historical facts about the feminist movement.
What is the central focus of the main body?
The main part of the paper provides a historical overview of the Women's Liberation Movement and the legal status of abortion, followed by an textual analysis of the novel through the eyes of the two main characters.
Which keywords define this study?
Significant keywords include Changing Places, feminism, abortion rights, 1960s, literary analysis, gender equality, and patriarchal expectations.
How does the novel portray the transition of the protagonist Phillip Swallow?
The author argues that Swallow evolves from a traditional man who expects his wife to uphold domestic duties into a more respectful character who gradually adopts more egalitarian behaviors.
How is the concept of "abortion tourism" reflected in the book?
The paper highlights that the character Mary Makepeace, among others, illustrates the trend of women traveling to Britain from countries with stricter abortion laws to exercise their bodily autonomy as permitted under the 1967 Act.
What role does Morris Zapp play in the analysis of female representation?
Morris Zapp is analyzed as a character who embodies many of the chauvinistic attitudes of the time, often reducing women's value to his own sexual satisfaction and skepticism toward the feminist movement.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), Representation of Women's Rights issues in David Lodge's "Changing Places", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1267795
