"Sisterhood": Power To Fight Against Patriarchy

Contemporary female dramatist Beth Henley (1952-) has created a large number of playsbased on the South of America, and has already been one of the representatives of AmericaSouthern literature. Crimes of the Heart of the Heart was her first successful play and wasawarded Pulitzer Prize in1981. In recent years, the amount of researches on the play is on therise at home and abroad. Currently, researches on Henley have covered such aspects as familyvalues, grotesque images as well as regional consciousness. However, this thesis intends toanalyze the process of Magrath sisters from blaming each other to uniting and contrast with thechanges of them in words and behaviors. By doing this, it can get the way dramatist pave forSouthern women’s liberation. That is to say, she stands firmly for sisterhood and calls for theuniting of Southern women to awaken self-consciousness so as to fight for freedom.“Sisterhood” has been the byword of the Second-wave feminism. This slogan focuses on theunity and cooperation of the oppressed women, and calls on them to unite together to fightagainst patriarchy and discrimination set by the society. Southern women bear physical andmental oppression, and are keen to be liberated. Dramatist Beth Henley puts this subject on thestage in order to draw people’s attention on these women. Through analyzing this drama, theauthor of this thesis attempts to prove the role of sisterhood in the way of challenging patriarchy.This paper is composed of five parts.The first part is introduction. It provides the background of the playwright as well as hermasterpiece Crimes of the Heart, and it makes a statement of the concept--“sisterhood”.Furthermore, it briefly reviews the previous researches about Beth Henley and her work bothabroad and at home.Under the circumstance of understanding the background of Crimes of the Heart, the firstchapter analyzes the experience of Magrath sisters in patriarchal society to show the oppressionthey suffer from father, Granddaddy and Zackery. What is worth mentioning is that most of thescenes of the play are located in the kitchen. Women are limited and controlled in the kitchen,doing the trivial things and toiling the livelihood of the family. This set itself shows the inferiorand subordinate status of women.The second chapter describes the series of transformations in words and behaviors of threesisters after unity. Three sisters are not timid any longer, not indecisive any more and do not onlyto bear. From these actions, we get the power of sisterhood. After regaining sisterhood, they arebrave and fearless and stick together to fight against patriarchy, being ready to start their newlife.The third chapter explains the historical tradition and features of the South of America, which cause women’s oppression and bondage. Also the Second-wave feminism puts forward theterm “sisterhood”, to awaken women’s self-consciousness and call for them to fight for theirrights. Southern representative dramatist Beth Henley’s attention on the life and destiny ofSouthern women also points out the direction for them in the way of fighting for independence.The last part is conclusion. From the changes in words and actions of the three sisters, theauthor of this thesis aims to get the power of “sisterhood” in the way for women fighting forfreedom, which is also the writing intention of the dramatist. In other words, sisterhood is thepowerful weapon to fight against patriarchy. The Southern women, who are still struggling inpatriarchal society, should unite together to get the success of freedom and independence.