A Feminist Study On Rose's Search For Self-identify In Munro's Who Do You Think You Are?

Alice Munro is one of the most famous short story writer in Canada.In 2013,Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature.The book Who Do You Think You Are? was created in Munro's middle age and was considered as her autobiographical work.This thesis aims to explore the protagonist Rose's identity issues from the perspective of feminism.Rose,a lower class girl with a sensitive heart,is dissatisfied with the poor and backward hometown,from which she makes efforts to escape.She successfully enters college,where she is attracted by the prosperous city life and soon wins a rich boy's love.However,their marriage is destined to end due to the wide gap between social classes.Though the middle-aged Rose changes into a new woman with financial independence,she undergoes misunderstanding and discrimination,and loses her confidence in career.Back to hometown,she gets new understanding of her step-mother,her hometown,and her childhood memories.Therefore,she gains a renewed sense of self and finally breaks her personal limits and outgrows herself.The book reveals the females' narrow living space based on the patriarchal culture,and the females' struggle for self-identity in the patriarchal society.Through Rose's answer to “who am I”,Munro tells us it is significant for a woman to explore her self-identity and construct her distinct self-identity.The thesis tries to illustrate the female's search for identity is a continuous process,during which the female inevitably encounters the challenges and pressures from the patriarchal society.To establish self-identity,the female should keep the positive attitude and view with long-term potential.Besides,the pursuit for independence and freedom sheds lights on today's women who quest for self-identity and fulfillment.