Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2023, 6(7); doi: 10.25236/AJHSS.2023.060702.
Ramesh Prasad Adhikary
Department of English, Tribhuvan University, Mahendra Multiple Campus, Nepalgunj
The main objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of female bonding as a means of both survival and protest against patriarchal domination. Specifically, this research aims to explore the role of female bonding in changing the existing pattern of social structure, as portrayed in the novel under consideration. This study takes a qualitative approach, with a focus on literary analysis. The novel under consideration is analyzed using radical feminist theory, with a particular emphasis on the feminist criticism of Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar. Other feminist critics, including Bell Hooks, Simon de Beauvoir, Elaine Showalter, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Emile Zola, are also considered. The data for this study is collected through a close reading and analysis of the novel under consideration. Relevant literature on feminist theory and criticism is also reviewed. The data collected for this study is analyzed using thematic analysis. The themes that emerge from the analysis are examined in relation to the research objectives. The findings of this study suggest that female bonding can be a powerful mechanism for both survival and protest against patriarchal domination. In the novel under consideration, female bonding plays a crucial role in enabling the protagonist to resist patriarchal oppression and challenge the traditional notions of female powerlessness. The results of this study support the assertion that female bonding can be an effective means of mounting protest against patriarchal domination. The study highlights the need for greater recognition of the role of female bonding in challenging existing social structures and promoting gender equality. The findings of this study have implications for feminist theory and practice, as well as for wider social and political movements aimed at challenging patriarchal norms.
female bonding, patriarchal oppression, radical feminism, gender equality, feminist practice
Ramesh Prasad Adhikary. The Power of Female Bonding in Resisting Patriarchal Oppression: An Analysis of Shirley’s The Keepers of the House through Radical Feminist Theory. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2023) Vol. 6, Issue 7: 7-15. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2023.060702.
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