Research Paper on:
Fiction and the Depiction of Women

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
between male and female fiction writers. Nina Bayms work is used as a springboard for discussion. Bibliography lists 2 sources. SA140fe.rtf Freibert and White provide an interesting look at  women writers. In fact, these editors manage to separate womens fiction from general fiction, something not difficult to do, but something that usually comes under scrutiny. Indeed, there have always  been differences of opinion in respect to the ideation that women are different from men. Some do not subscribe to that notion and like to think that men and women  writers are very much alike. While the authors compile a great deal of evidence that female writers do show a decided difference from their male counterparts, it is perhaps Nina  Bayms ideas that accentuate how women have been portrayed in literature that are most relevant. Bayms thoughts come through loud and clear in her compilation called Womans Fiction. Baym  explains that the primary plot of womens fiction generally involves the story of a young girl who is deprived of supports she once had (19). Whether it is right  or wrong, much will depend the female characters ability to sustain throughout life (19). A female character is faced with the necessity of winning her own way in the larger  society and from the beginning, the character generally takes herself very lightly (19). She has no ego, or if she does, it is a damaged one (19). She looks at  the world as if she wants it to coddle and protect her (19). To a great extent, the female characters expectations are reasonable as she believes that she will be  nurtured (19). However, the failure of the world to satisfy reasonable or unreasonable expectations seems to awaken the heroine to inner possibilities (19). By the time the novel ends, the