1. Introduction
Early in the morning she rises,
The Woman’s work is never done.
And it’s not because she doesn’t try,
She’s fighting a battle with no one on her side.
She rises up in the morning,
And she works ‘til way past dusk.
The woman better slow down,
Or she’s gonna come down hard.
Early in the morning she rises,
The woman’s work is never done.
Woman’s Work, by Tracy Chapman (1992)
“Ah, to be all things to all people: children, husband, employer, friends! It can be done: yes, it can: super woman” (Weldon 1988, 312).
The short stories Weekend by Fay Weldon and Doris Lessing’s To Room 19 resemble each other in the aspect of presenting two female characters struggling in their lives under the pressure of the multiple roles they are to fulfill every day. But despite the superficial similarity of these stories, the two female authors chose different ways of pointing out the general themes of patriarchy and female entrapment to the reader.
Feminist literary criticism covers a broad range of theories and politics and it is hard to define the one feminist approach, however one of the main goals of feminist critics has been to point out patriarchal structures , oppression of women and inequalities of power between men and women. While these themes are often implicitly hidden in male literature, Weldon and Lessing dramatize and display them explicitly in their short stories. In this paper, some of the aspects of feminist theory will be applied to focus on the author’s different ways of presenting patriarchal structures by analyzing the similarities, but most importantly the differences in their respective settings and characters. To create a basis for discussion, in the following chapter an analysis of the female and male main characters will be connected with a deeper look at the general themes and motives that both short stories display. Subsequently, the third chapter will deal with the significant differences of the characters and the plots, leading into the question in which way the authors influence their readers and what effect on the reader each author may have desired.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Characters and Themes
2.1 Responsibilities and Desires
2.2 Reason versus Emotion
3. Different Ways of displaying Oppression
3.1 Differences of the Characters
3.2 Differences in Setting and Perspective
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Core Themes
This paper aims to provide a comparative analysis of Fay Weldon's "Weekend" and Doris Lessing's "To Room 19" through the lens of feminist literary criticism. The research explores how both authors dramatize patriarchal structures, female entrapment, and the imbalance of power between men and women in domestic settings, while highlighting the distinct narrative methods and character portrayals each author employs to expose these themes.
- Analysis of gendered roles and the division of labor in marriage.
- Examination of the "separate spheres" theory within domestic life.
- Comparison of female characters' struggles with identity and self-actualization.
- Evaluation of narrative perspectives in portraying internal vs. external oppression.
- Application of feminist critical theory to contemporary short stories.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Responsibilities and Desires
Seeking out and analyzing the female characters’ responsibilities and desires is a good tool to penetrate women’s inner emotional and psychological lives and to make the impacts of the ‘exterior’ world on their interior personality visible. The responsibilities of adult family members are often seen as split into two spheres: work and household. Since the exploration of the gendered roles within these supposedly separate spheres has also been a major concern of modern family sociologists, taking their researches into account may provide some empirical data to support the arguments of feminist critics.
The two short stories were written within a period of time in which women had their break-through in the workforce. However, while the landscape of work was undergoing great changes, the image of the home did not adapt to these changes. In The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home (1989), Arlie Hochschild talks about a stalled revolution for women in the home. Women have made great steps by entering the workforce and competing directly with men. At home, however, men are resisting the changes in gender roles, and women have to take on a greater share of work. The results are increased conflicts in marriages, women taking up the “second shift” of housework after they come home from work, and in some cases, an increased possibility of divorce.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the parallel between the two short stories regarding female struggle under patriarchal pressure and outlines the application of feminist theory to their analysis.
2. Characters and Themes: This chapter introduces the main characters and examines their domestic lives, specifically focusing on the conflicts arising from gendered responsibilities and the ideological tension between reason and emotion.
2.1 Responsibilities and Desires: This section investigates how the division of labor impacts the psychological lives of the female protagonists and how they navigate the expectations of their respective marriages.
2.2 Reason versus Emotion: This part analyzes the traditional binary opposition between male-coded reason and female-coded emotion, exploring how both authors challenge or uphold these constructs within their plots.
3. Different Ways of displaying Oppression: This chapter shifts to a broader examination of how patriarchal structures and imbalances of power are explicitly and implicitly presented to the reader.
3.1 Differences of the Characters: This sub-section contrasts the characters' paths, highlighting Martha’s total subordination compared to Susan’s eventual, tragic attempt to regain her identity.
3.2 Differences in Setting and Perspective: This sub-section discusses how different narrative modes, such as the use of brackets and sarcastic undertones, serve as the authors' critiques of patriarchy.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, affirming that both works serve as essential feminist texts that challenge societal prejudices regarding power dynamics between men and women.
5. Bibliography: This section lists the primary literary sources and secondary academic references used throughout the paper.
Keywords
Feminist criticism, Patriarchal structures, Gender roles, Domestic labor, Identity loss, Oppression, Fay Weldon, Doris Lessing, Reason versus emotion, Marriage, Female entrapment, Second shift, Binary oppositions, Literary analysis, Short stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on comparing how Fay Weldon's "Weekend" and Doris Lessing's "To Room 19" portray patriarchal oppression and the struggle of female characters within their marriages.
Which specific themes are prioritized?
The central themes include the division of household labor, the conflict between career and family roles, the loss of personal identity, and the ideological struggle between logic and emotional needs.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze the similarities and differences in how these two authors use their narratives to criticize patriarchal structures and empower readers to rethink traditional gender roles.
What scientific methods are utilized?
The paper employs feminist literary criticism, incorporating concepts like "binary oppositions" and sociological theories regarding the "second shift" and "separate spheres" to interpret the texts.
What does the main body cover?
The main body examines character motivations, the impact of household duties, the ideological divide between reason and emotion, and how the authors use narrative voice and setting to convey criticism.
What are the primary keywords for this study?
Key terms include feminist criticism, patriarchy, gender roles, domestic labor, and the specific literary works of Weldon and Lessing.
How does "Weekend" differ from "To Room 19" regarding the portrayal of marriage?
While both portray sexist dynamics, "Weekend" shows Martha largely succumbing to her husband's demands, whereas Susan in "To Room 19" initially appears to have a more egalitarian relationship before suffering a psychological breakdown and eventual suicide due to a lack of genuine emotional connection.
Why does Susan in "To Room 19" resort to suicide?
Susan commits suicide because her need for true privacy and freedom—which her "room 19" initially provided—is destroyed once her husband discovers the secret, leaving her with no space to escape the suffocating expectations of her role as wife and mother.
- Quote paper
- Dominik Borner (Author), 2005, Feminist Writings in the Perspective of Feminist Criticism: A Comparison of Fay Weldon's Weekend and Doris Lessing's To Room 19, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/38811
