Modern English Literature - Term Paper Example

Modern English Literature The paper discusses current trends of a modern English women’s literature. There is an evident shift in moods from focusing on women’s social roles to their emotions and inner intentions.IntroductionA powerful interest in female writings can be explained by the second wave of feminism in the West. A current influence on modern women’s literature may be found in the issues of diversity. Many works are devoted to gay and lesbian themes. Earlier discussions of women’s social roles as mothers and good housekeepers are not relevant in the modern globalized context.

Women’s literature: now and thenA matrifocal theme in literature has always been considered as a fruitful area for writer’s imagination. From the very childhood the images of our mothers follow us and they are the most important people in our lives. As a rule, mothers are closely related to their daughters and female writers have always referred to their mothers as a perfect example of female character exploration (Clare, 2006). Women’s literature is presented by diverse writers and it is relevant to claim that different aspects covered by female writers are striking for different women around the world.

For example, Margaret Drabble impresses her readers by depiction of a modern life challenges. Her characters are women, who have to fight against perplexities of their daily lives. It should be noted, that problems of motherhood were reflected in the writer’s novels of 60s and 70s (Martinez, 2007). At that time it was difficult for women to release their intellectual potential and they had to make a choice between a career and a family. British humor of her novels shows the most challenging situations in a positive light and with an irony (Campbell, 1995).

Iris Murdoch refers to matrifocal theme as well, when she wants to show complicated relations between a mother and a daughter-in-law. The author shows the important role of an inner perception of motherhood as a special inner emotional condition. As far as we can see, in the early period of modern English literature it was very popular to talk about a woman as a social object used for reproduction or hearth and home keeping.ConclusionCurrently, there is an explosion of novels and short stories about lesbian or gay love.

Women’s writers make an attempt to protect the rights of people who want to fight for their love. It is hard to find works devoted to motherhood, because modern women are not concentrated on their social roles of good housekeepers and mothers. They prefer to make some experiments, to love those, whom they want to love, to work there, where they want to work. It looks like a modern English women’s literature does not have exact boundaries. It is everywhere and nowhere. That is a zest of a modern English women’s literature.

Works cited1. Campbell, E. (1995). Re-visions, Re-flections, Re-creations: Epistolarity in Novels by Contemporary Women. Twentieth Century Literature, 41(3), 332+. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=50003858162. Clare, J. (2006). Womens Writing in English: Early Modern England. Renaissance Quarterly, 59(2), 625+. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=50213561713. Martinez, E. C. (2007, September/October).

Potrayals of Female Power. Americas (English Edition), 59, 60+. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5026487211