An Interpretation Of Mary’s Tragedy In The Grass Is Singing Perspective: Feminism

The thesis attempts to explore the tragedy of Mary from external and internal factors which include patriarchy, race, sex and personality. Doris Lessing is a brilliant British female writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2007. Her first novel The Grass Is Singing has detailed description about the female survival and female psychology. The study of Mary’s tragic fate is of great significance to the work and feminist theory’s further development.Combined with the feminist criticism theory, the thesis gives deep analysis of the heroine’s tragedy. The main body part of the thesis is divided into four parts. Firstly, under the oppression and bondage of patriarchal society, Mary was neglected and suppressed in the Other status. Mary lost the subject consciousness and self-identity. Secondly, living in South Africa where human nature was depressed, Mary was the victim of the colonial and racial discrimination policy. Mary was not only under the discrimination between whites and blacks, but also among whites. Finally, Mary’s immature and undeveloped sex consciousness and twisted personality also contributed to her tragedy. Mary’s tragedy is a microcosm of the women living there at that time and it is also a tragedy of female under the patriarchal society.Through analyzing Mary’s tragic fate, the thesis tries to show readers Lessing’s feminist ideas in the novel, keen observation ability, her care for the female and the whole mankind and her wish to build a harmonious, democratic and equal society.