| Though a considerable body of secondary criticism of Bellow's novels exists, most critics do not discuss the women characters. When they do, they usually refer to them as stereotypes or extensions of the protagonist, rather than complex characters with a reality of their own. It is true that many of the women share common traits, but this does not make them stereotypes. Rather, it is more accurate to refer to them as types. This term acknowledges that there are women who share a significant number of traits, but it simultaneously allows for individual and idiosyncratic traits in these women. It is the assertion of this study that four such types exist in Bellow's novels. These may be called the Defeated Women, the Sensual Women, the Destructive Women, and the Good Women.; The Defeated Women, including such characters as the mothers of Augie March and Moses Herzog, are generally weak, unattractive, often sick or tired, victimized, submissive, and sad. The Sensual Women, such as Sophie Geratis and Sono Oguki, are independent, sexy, easy-going, healthy, and transient. The Destructive Women, illustrated by Thea Fenchel and Madeleine Pontritter, among others, are vivid, obsessive, unpredictable, pierced by hatred, and mentally unbalanced. Finally, the Good Women, such as Lily Henderson and Ramona Donsella, are loving, supportive, talkative, and family oriented. These types recur throughout the novels, but within each of the basic types, the women undergo an observable development and evolution from the first novel to the last. The Defeated Women, for instance, move from a position clearly outside society to a definite integration into society. The Sensual Women evolve from an "other woman" position to a figure sharply condemned for inhumanity and decadence and emerge into easy, good-humored companionship. The Destructive Women begin as minor characters, evolve into characters capable of profound harm, and diminish to an annoying but controllable obstacle. The Good Women move from admirable but relatively ineffectual characters to fully human figures capable of significant positive influence.; The evolution of each of these types reveals Bellow's changing attitude towards the concepts of defeat, sensuality, destructiveness, and goodness, and a steady reworking of the themes associated with them--the problem of isolation and the search for community, the pursuit of self-knowledge, the confrontation of evil, the need for human responsibility, and the affirmation of the human spirit. The development of the female characters reveals in Bellow's writing a growing humanism and an increasing belief in the interrelatedness of human beings. |
