| abstract | The thesis examines Fear of Flying by Erica Jong (1973), The Women's Room by Marylin French (1977),
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982), and Thelma and Louise (1991) as examples of popular feminist fiction respective to the decade in
which they were released. The works provide examples of consciousness-raising fiction in late 20th century America and how it has evolved over three
decades. The thesis looks at some of the constants of feminist discourse such as sexual violence, while it also looks at the more shifting themes that
emerge such as the nuclear family, intersectionality, and forms of resistance for women. Examining these texts in terms of their historical contexts
reveals how they are informed by the political space they occupy and how the authors of those works intervene in the gender politics being discussed
in the world around them. By looking at these texts along a timeline, there is a possibility for variance in women's stories, but also a shift in
the types of female characters allowed to exist in feminist fiction. While early protagonists are permitted to resist patriarchal oppression, they
have no opportunity for moral ambiguity. But even in later works, the home has not stopped representing a form of entrapment. Each text offers
intervention by the authors in the gender politics they face, whether that involves the nuclear family, female sexuality, intersectionality, anger,
or retaliation. Looking back provides a timeline of how feminist politics have shifted over time and gives a clearer picture of how feminist fiction
can be examined and defined today. |
