Caterpillars That Dream Of Turning Into Butterflies: A Feminist Interpretation Of Margaret Drabble's Early Novels

Margaret Drabble (1939-) is one of the most famous women novelists in the world today. In her early years, she focuses on writing about young ladies who graduates from university, realizes woman's limitation and wonders what to do next in their lives. Her early novels A Summer Bird Cage, The Millstone and Jerusalem the Golden demonstrate the real lives of three young women, who are neither sexual objects nor stereotyped housewives but women with strong will-power and independent thinking. They are capable of self-analysis, and by incessant self-analysis they finally achieve self-actualization and self-definition. They are not satisfied by the present situation of being trapped in dilemmas between marriage and career and between social self and natural self, and try to find alternative life patterns. In these three novels, Drabble explores the biological nature as well as social culture of women and provides blueprints of young women's lives. The theme of finding an alternative life pattern is intricately woven throughout Drabble's early novels. Just as caterpillars want to become butterflies, the young women dream to find their ideal life patterns.This thesis, mainly from the perspective of feminist criticism, investigates the predicament trapping the protagonists when they are confronted with many life options and examines the recurring themes of finding alternative life patterns for women, especially young educated ladies. By a close analysis of her early novels, this thesis attempts to find out her contribution and connection to as well as divergence from feminist ideas and ideology.This thesis has five chapters. Chapter one introduces the research topic, research purpose and interpretative framework. Chapter two, Chapter three and Chapter four are close textual analysis of Margaret Drabble's three early novels:A Summer Bird Cage, The Millstone and Jerusalem the Golden, focusing on what the protagonists say, do, feel and think as well as their thematic implications in these novels. Chapter five concludes the thesis, stating Drabble's connection to and divergence from feminism, her moral concerns and her skillful narrative techniques as well as her status as one of the most famous women novelists in contemporary English Literature.