Predicament of Women in Margaret Laurences Manawaka Fiction

Abstract

The Introduction introduces the writer by placing her in the literary tradition. It gives details about her life and works, and the influences on her. It throws light on the uniqueness of Canadian Literature. It has a brief section on the women writers of Canada. It introduces Manawaka and the Manawaka fiction. The second chapter is on the predicament of gender discrimination and it analyses the characters who suffer gender discrimination in their lives. Gender discrimination deprives women of education and career due to which they are not able to have an identity for themselves. Hagar is denied an opportunity of becoming a teacher; Morag and Beth are prevented from pursuing higher education. The third chapter analyses the domestication of women which is done to satisfy the male subjectivity and to fulfil the commitments of motherhood. Characters like Hagar, Morag, Stacey, Agnes, Beth are analysed and discussed as those who suffer domestication. The causes and their struggle for a meaningful life are explored in this chapter. newline