Examples Of Female Representation In Literature

The female motif is often reflected and portrayed diversely dependent on a writer’s ideals. A writer is at liberty to present a female character as he or she pleases. The female motif is often condemned as weak, passive and submissive; while being portrayed as loving and caring. Female portrayal in literature is riddled with stereotypes and male ideals and notions. Female representation in literature often goes beyond just the basis of gender but is also stereotyped by race and culture. The notion of female representation can differ based upon the culture you identify with, as seen in “Lady Franklin’s Lament” and within “The Onondaga Madonna”. These pieces of work offer up differing notions of being female and femininity based on how their

In “Lady Franklin’s Lament”, the woman is seen as frail and dependant. The she, in this case, is a prim and proper lady who can do nothing but wait and search for her man. As the reader, we are altered to perceive her as such, we have been programmed to see a 19th century lady and imagine this imagery. The representation of women is also altered by stereotypes of the time period. A woman was stereotyped as a weak individual, who dressed in large gowns and almost couldn’t think on her own. These stereotypes were what lead to altered perceptions. In “The Onondaga Madonna”, the native women is perceived as a strong warrior with caring and maternal instincts. We are programed to see her as “savage” and the “other” due to social constraints. She is a woman ravaged by negative stereotypes that alter perception and cultural

It differs across lines of culture, race and personal effects. It is affected through personal perceptions along with cultural stereotypes as seen through both “Lady Franklin’s Lament” and within “The Onondaga Madonna”. The first most writing presents a woman of status, who is represented based on her appearance and cultural notions. She is poised into a society of prim and proper woman who lack worldly encounters. The lattermost story presents a woman who is continuously stereotyped based on a lasting cultural bias and outsider perception. She is noted “savage” and “weird” based on social stigmas and associations. The representation of females is a diverse concept that leads to the differing of opinions and perceptions among culture and