The representation of fenale ethnic discourse as reflected in three novels written by women

Abstract

n the present work, by means of a critical analysis based on postcolonical and feminist theories, I intend to show firstly, the topic of patriarchy in three representative novels The House on Mango Street, The Farming of Bones and Wide Sargasso Sea written by Sandra Cisneros, Edwidge Danticat, and Jean Rhys respectively, and the way it affects the most important female characters. Also, considering their respective contexts, my purpose is to show women‟s positioning in relation to hegemonic power, and finally, to inquire into the issue of the silencing of female voices in the texts chosen for analysis The conclusions I have arrived at are the following: - In the three narratives there is a tendency towards inquiring, but in The House of Mango Street, the protagonist‟s awareness of her desires for cultural emancipation and literary liberation becomes the climactic issue of the novel. The act of writing turns to mean the same as the act of self creation - There is an implicit desire to subvert the power of the ruling class. This is shown through the denunciation of the state of poverty and estrangement of the Latino- community by the Anglo-American society, the unmasking of the atrocities committed by Trujillo‟s men and, by the exposure of issues such as economic subjugation and abuse in direct relationship with those of female gender, race and ethnicity - Another important topic in relation to women is the burden of living in an overemphasized man-centred society and their submission to it. Also, the reproduction of the stereotypes created by men, where women are seen as whores, seducers, vicious, and unworthy of trust - Despite the efforts of men to silence female voices they managed to be heard through different means: through the act of writing, where cultural and personal identity can be preserved; through authorial annoyance at powerful men‟s tyrannical attitude towards women; and through a demonstration of how writing can be used as an authentic woman‟s tool to overcome male dominance and protect women‟s history Finally, despite their dissimilar settings, contexts and idiosyncrasies the three works share the vision of relocating the female self based on an affirmation of ethnic otherness