Date of Defense
1970
Department
English
Abstract
The term "image" can be construed as meaning not only a genuine likeness or representation, a true picture, but also an illusory thing, having reality only in the mind. Traditionally, the cultural image of woman is one in which she is subordinate to the male. If she is married, she must first consider her husband's and children's fulfillment and then her own. Even this latter is possible only if it does not conflict with "family responsibilities," a term subject to unlimited interpretations and applications. If she is unmarried, she is still expected to defer to the male in her occupation, profession, or even pastimes. Such widely accepted expectations, which leave no room for choice, have been based on the theory that it is woman's "nature" to be secondary, a theory emanating from a biological basis.
Recommended Citation
Winfrey, Barbara, "The Image of Woman in Literature: Accurate or Inaccurate?" (1970). Honors Theses. 1083.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/1083
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Campus Only