Author(s)

Qian Zihan ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China

Corresponding Author

Qian Zihan

ABSTRACT

Sherwood Anderson, a prominent early 20th-century American novelist, depicted a range of female characters in his works, each marked by profoundly tragic destinies, with a particular focus on the women in Winesburg, Ohio. These characters are caught in a fate of misfortune, drawing societal attention to their plight. Anderson consistently demonstrates profound empathy and concern for women, highlighting his admiration and acknowledgment of the evolving role of women in the modern era. In his novel "Mother", the character of Elizabeth stands out as particularly poignant. Her tragic life is emblematic of the broader conflict between traditional and contemporary cultural values during the industrialization of America. This paper seeks to explore the sorrowful fate and the emergence of Elizabeth's feminist consciousness, which is evident in her complex relationship with her son and her resistance to her husband's authority. Despite the story's somber conclusion, Elizabeth’s narrative is one of feminine awakening, as seen in her influence on her son and her defiance against her spouse. Anderson's portrayal of Elizabeth reveals his deep-seated sympathy for women, yet it is tempered by the cultural constraints of patriarchal norms, which even he could not fully transcend. His writing, while advocating for a feminist perspective, is paradoxically influenced by his patriarchal ideologies.

KEYWORDS

Feminism, Sherwood Anderson, "Mother", Elizabeth Willard, Winesburg, Ohio

CITE THIS PAPER

Qian Zihan, Sherwood Anderson's Feminine Consciousness Embodied in "Mother—Concerning Elizabeth Willard". Lecture Notes on Language and Literature (2024) Vol. 7: 110-113. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/langl.2024.070618.

REFERENCES

[1] Sherwood Anderson. Winesburg, Ohio. Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 2008.
[2] Xu Jing, Li Xiaolan. On the Female Image of "Ji Ren" in "The Little Town Ji Ren" [J]. Science and Technology Information, 2012, (05): 260.
[3] He Zheng. Women: The Moses of Artists [J]. Journal of Sichuan International Studies University, 2002(4):37-40.
[4] Cheng Yiyun. Exploring the Female Perspective of Sherwood Anderson in Winesburg, Ohio from the Perspective of Bisexual Temperament [J]. Chinese and Foreign Entrepreneurs, 2016, (18): 258-259.

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