DISGUISED DEFIANCE: THE HIDDEN FEMINIST VOICES OF VICTORIAN LITERATURE

Abstract

: THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE INFLUENTIAL ROLE OF FEMALE AUTHORS DURING THE VICTORIAN ERA AND THEIR USE OF PEN NAMES AS A SUBVERSIVE TACTIC TO CONTRIBUTE TO FEMINIST DISCOURSE. IT EXAMINES HOW THESE AUTHORS, CONSTRAINED BY THE GENDER NORMS OF THEIR TIME, CIRCUMVENTED SOCIETAL BARRIERS BY ADOPTING MALE PSEUDONYMS TO PUBLISH THEIR WORKS. THROUGH A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF TEXTS BY AUTHORS SUCH AS JANE AUSTEN, THE BRONTË SISTERS, AND GEORGE ELIOT, THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE EMERGENCE OF THE ‘NEW WOMAN’ IN LITERATURE— A CHARACTER THAT DEFIED THE TRADITIONAL PASSIVE FEMALE ARCHETYPE BY EXHIBITING SELF-RELIANCE AND INTELLECTUAL AGENCY. BY WEAVING LITERARY CRITICISM WITH HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THE PAPER DELINEATES THE SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VICTORIAN LITERATURE AND FEMINISM’S PROGRESSIVE PUSH, ULTIMATELY REVEALING HOW THESE WRITINGS HELPED TO REFRAME WOMEN’S ROLES AND ADVANCE THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT.