Research Paper on:
Feminist Readings of Twentieth Century Novels

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
20th century brought about so many numerous social changes that literature, and authors, could not simply lay back and keep silent, in regards to the changes. People were more actively  voicing their opinions, and the opinions of women were finally coming to the surface in regards to literature. Through studying some of the womens literature of the 20th century we  can better understand many of the changes that were taking place in society. In the following paper we examine two specific works as they relate to a feminist perspective of  the 20th century novel. The first novel to be discussed is "Wise Children" by Angela Carter. The second novel is "The Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys. The paper then  presents a discussion and comparison that will help us to understand what these feminist stories tell us of the 20th century novel. Wise Children "Angela Carters 11th work  of fiction is as idiosyncratic as most of the works by this gifted and inventive British writer. Narrated by the septuagenarian Dora Chance, the more introspective of the illegitimate twin  daughters of Sir Melchior Hazard, Englands greatest living Shakespearean, Wise Children is a giddy souffle of a novel, mock memoir, mock confession, mock romance, a post-modernist parody of a familiar  genre" (Oates carter-wise.html). Interestingly enough, even with little, or no, knowledge of Carters work we can already, from this description, see that the story is one that truly engages in  many different perspectives concerning the novel of the 20th century. We can note that her story is mocking in tone, which is something that was not necessarily commonly found in  the 20th century novel. Irony, satire, and blatant mockery was something that was perhaps not readily accepted in literature. And, in this we can understand the feminist wit as an