A Study Of The Marginal Women In Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere

Celeste Ng is a renowned Chinese American female writer in contemporary America.She is noted for her work on issues of minority,class,family and growth in American society.Little Fires Everywhere is her second novel,which was published in 2017 and won twenty-seven annual book awards including Amazon‘s annual novel in the same year.Based on the mainstream society of the United States,the work describes the differences between the mainstream and minority groups in their lifestyles,as well as the estrangement and misunderstanding between the two groups.Marginal men are unique and personalized groups compared with the mainstream group.They are inextricably connected with the mainstream society,but they are excluded from the mainstream society because of their heterogeneity.This thesis analyzes the three female characters with ―marginal‖ characteristics in the work with the help of the Marginal Man Theory,analyzing their respective images as marginal women,the causes of marginalization,and their way out,hoping to help people understand the marginal group and their living conditions more carefully.This thesis consists of five chapters.The first chapter is the introduction,which first briefly introduces the author Celeste Ng and Little Fires Everywhere.Then,it sorts out the research from domestic studies and overseas studies,and finally introduces the Marginal Man Theory briefly.The second,third and fourth chapters are the main parts of the thesis.The second chapter focuses on the character of Bebe,the victim of racial discrimination.The superposition of the two identities of an ethnic minority and a single mother makes Bebe become a typical marginal woman.In the end,she is forced to choose the path of return.The third chapter focuses on Izzy,a rebel of established rules.She is both a rebel against family rules and a destroyer of social orders.Driven by irrational consciousness,she sets fire to the house and flees.The fourth chapter revolves around Mia,the wanderer of secular society.Her dual identity as a wandering artist and a single mother puts her at odds with the people of Shaker Heights.After being evicted by her landlord,she leaves Shaker Heights and continues to wander.The fifth chapter is the conclusion,pointing out that marginal men usually result from the superposition of multiple identities and powers,everyone may be marginalized for some reasons at present times,and consequently the concern for marginal men becomes a theme of universal value that transcends nationality and culture.