Document Type : Research paper
Authors
1 Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, University of Kashan, Kashan.
2 Arabic language,kashan university,
Abstract
Feminist criticism is a literary analytical approach aimed at enhancing women's status and advocating for gender equality by emphasizing their societal roles. Analyzing the portrayal of women's experiences and emotions in literature is crucial for elucidating women's status in various societies and can offer multifaceted narratives of female identity. "Small Joys Last Joys" by Syrian author Haifa Bitar is a novel that explores the challenges and issues faced by women. Elaine Showalter's feminist theory encompasses four approaches: biological, psychological, linguistic, and cultural, and examines the representation of women's experiences in literature through these aspects. This study aimed to investigate and evaluate Showalter's feminist theory in the novel "Small Joys, Last Joys" and demonstrate how the author has incorporated female elements in her work. Bitar examined the biological traits of women and their impact on their lived experiences, while also addressing psychological aspects such as loneliness, grief, fear of loss, and sobbing. The author's employment of significant linguistic elements, including love poetry, emotive lexicon, and specific references, has contributed to the portrayal of profound cultural issues such as patriarchy and the repercussions of divorce on women, so producing a work that raises consciousness. The enforcement of patriarchal societal standards on women has resulted in difficulties for them and impaired their decision-making capabilities. The author has highlighted the detrimental and enduring impacts of patriarchal ideology on women's mental and social well-being, underscoring the necessity for altering attitudes and social frameworks to enhance women's status and rights. Nonetheless, the clichéd portrayal of women's maltreatment in the East has occasionally hindered the author from confronting their genuine issues.
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