Lucy’s Quest for Self-discovery

Kevser Ates

Abstract


This article aims to show the female narrator, Lucy Snowe’s self-discovery through her experiences in a patriarchal society from a feminist point of view. Through this courageous and unconventional female narrator, Charlotte Bronte questions her society’s expectations from women while also criticizing women’s willingness to obey the rules defined by men. The traditional characterizations of women and men consequently result in binary oppositions which give “reasonable†and “strong†men the right to control “emotional†and “weak†women. Lucy has to face a lot of difficulties as she does not accept to be guarded by any men. In this novel called Villette, refusing her traditionally assigned social, passive role, Lucy tries to create her own identity as an independent individual.


Keywords


Feminism, Identity, Patriarchy, Binary oppositions

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References


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Showalter, E. (1987). The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Cidture. 1830-1980. New York: Penguin.


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