A Postmodern Feministic Study Of The Establishment Of Female Subjectivity In Little Women

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is considered to be a classic in American literature.This autobiographical novel remains true to women’s growing process from girlhood to womanhood,and their diverse ways of becoming women.Little Women has an evolving effect upon the readers in the past generation as well as the readers in the contemporary society.Despite the continuous popularity of this novel in the 21 st century,few scholars approach it from the postmodern perspective.This thesis differs from the previous feminist research in that it attempts to investigate the classic in light of postmodern feminism and tries to explore the strategies embodied in the novel that contributes to the establishment of March women’s subjectivity which is still enlightening today.It is hoped that this thesis will provide a new vision for women to seek their subjectivity in contemporary society.The textual analysis combined with the postmodern feministic theories mainly falls into three parts.The first part delineates the subversion of the patriarchal assumptions in the novel manifested mainly in the absence of the father role,Laurie’s weakened masculinity and Jo’s reduced femininity.The following part discusses how Mrs.March and her daughter attempts to utter their own voice under the patriarchal discourse system.The third part explores the strategy of achieving equality on the basis of respecting the difference both within women and between the two parties including the diversity of March sisters’ life choice and the harmony achieved through the male and female characters’ mutual understanding and support.Through the postmodern feministic analysis of the female subjectivity demonstrated in Little Women,the conclusion can be drawn that March women’s construction of their female subjectivity undergoes a gradual process including the subversion the traditional gender roles prescribed by the patriarchal society,the discovery of their own voice and the expression of their true feelings and thoughts on the basis of their unique life experiences and the exploration of their own ways to become women as well as the establishment of the harmonious relationship between men and women.It is hoped that this thesis will contribute to the establishment of female subjectivity and the achievement of gender harmony in the contemporary society.