I Am Thinking I Am Free

In the Australian literary history, Christina Stead( 1902-1983) is an important woman writer who doesnot seem to have received her due recognition. Her works are sparkled with genuine originality, uniqueness and power and her feminist thinking irresistibly arouses our attention. The thesis is devoted to an exploration of the accomplishment and complexity of two of her autobiographic masterpieces The Man Who Loved Children and For Love Alone from a feminist perspective.Firstly, the writer of the thesis conducts a penetrating analysis of the family structure in the first novel, centering on the relations of love and hatred among its members, husband and wife, parents and children, and on the household struggle for power, which exhibits itself through the patriarchal domination as opposed to all kinds of confrontations. It is seen that, Sam, the spokesman for the patriarchy establishes his self-ruling kingdom on the basis of his discourse hegemony. He makes his wife a mere reproduction tool and coerces his children into submitting. Henny becomes a victim of the system and commits suicide as an escape. But Louisa gives the system the most severe attack. With her new discourse, she smashes the father's hegemony and deconstructs his system. This proves that language is a powerful weapon in building the patriarchy and an equally forceful means in deconstructing it. As the new woman is full of female consciousness and independent spirit, she starts to explore the whole world.Secondly, the thesis follows up the efforts that the women make for their final liberation and independence, the construction of female subjectivity in the second novel. The task is accomplished by Teresa, an adult Louisa. Instead of exerting language influence, this time the heroine resorts to love power. Love is the light that brightens the road to female independence. Motivated by love desire, the heroine confesses her secret needs and seeks her true lover; both are taboos by social conventions. In the process, she finds that the men she meets is either a malechauvinist or one who regards women only as his affiliated object. True love lies in her extramarital relations with George, in which she finds true freedom, independence and equality. It is through true love that women become free. Meanwhile, female subjectivity is also constructed.Using on her own experiences, Stead successfully points out the problems women have and what they should do. According to Stead, the way out is to create their own discourse in order to deconstruct the patriarchal hierarchy, acknowledge their desire and seek true love in order to construct female subjective. The heroine says at the end of the novel, "I am thinking I am free.