A Study Of Female Body Discourse In Doris Lessing’s Works

Doris Lessing is a representative feminist writer who is skilled at observing and concerns the women’s life survival and living conditions from a female perspective.The Grass Is Singing（1950）,The Summer before the Dark（1973）,The Diaries of Jane Somers（1984）,and The Grandmothers（2003）are her representatives of exploring the living conditions of women at different stages from the mid-20^{t h} to the early 21^st.Based on the feminist theory and body discourse theory,this dissertation focuses on these four works,explores the representation and predicament of females’body in each work,analyzes the background and reasons of women’s suffering,and seeks for the appeal and identity construction of women’s bodies discourse in different stages and times.The thesis first analyzes that the main predicament of female character’s body discourse in The Grass Is Singing is in a state of being completely gazed at.During this period,the female body mainly serves colonial rule and patriarchal culture,belonging to t he men as private property.Although her body has had silent resistance,it is still in a state of being repressed.Then,it analyzes that the main predicament of female character’s body discourse in The Summer before the Dark is internalized and self-disciplined in the male-dominated ideology.In this period,the female body is influenced by the more invisible patriarchal culture and various social discipline forces so that she unconsciously accepts it and represents a shelled and sick body,which leads to the crisis of self-identity.Lastly,through the pursuit of enjoyment and freedom of self-body,the female protagonist finds her subjectivity.Furthermore,it discusses the main predicament of female character’s body in The Diaries of Jane Somers which is materialized again under the influence of consumer culture.Under the impact of consumer culture and individual extremism,the female body in this period is wrapped in an unreal and lonely state,which leads to a crisis of social identity.However,female characters redefine the complete self of successful urban women by changing their bodies that are stereotyped in the consumption era and accepting the authenticity and diversity of female bodies.Additionally,this thesis exp lores the main predicament of female character’s body in The Grandmothers which is in the ethical predicament due to over-pursuing physical freedom.Although the situation of women in this period has been greatly improved,the female characters pay too much attention to their physical feelings and split their physiological needs and spiritual freedom,forming desired,alienated and misused body,resulting in a new round of gender confrontation.Through taking a thorough research on Lessing’s four representative works,this dissertation takes a comprehensive consideration of the main predicament of women’s bodies in different periods in Lessing’s novels,revealing the close fit of the author’s thoughts with the times,showing the author’s writing of all aspects and the whole course of the situation of females,and in-depth understanding of the richness of Lessing’s works and the maturity of Lessing’s thought.Lessing’s forward-looking thoughts on women’s life and destiny still have a referential significance for breaking through the predicament of women in contemporary society.