Gender Stereotypes and Development of Female Characters in the Works of Chinua Achebe, Tamora Pierce and Robert Reed

master's thesis

• Author: Lorena Ribar
• Mentor: Krunoslav Mikulan (mentor)
• Committee member: Vladimir Legac (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Predrag Oreški (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Krunoslav Mikulan (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-07-02, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Comparative Literature

Abstract

In this thesis the influence of gender stereotypes on literature will be explored. The thesis is divided into three main parts: the overview of gender and gender stereotypes in society and literature, the history of feminist movements and the development of
feminist literary criticism and the analysis of the development of female characters in three novels. The first part of the thesis presents different views on gender, different motivations of gender stereotypes and the representations of gender roles and gender stereotypes in different genres of literature. The second part analyses the motives of the different waves of feminist movements and
the evolution of feminist literary criticism and its influence on literature. The third part of this thesis focuses on the examination of the development of female characters throughout history and throughout different genres of literature. Furthermore, three important novels, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Alanna: The First Adventure, the first novel from The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce and Marrow by Robert Reed and their development of female characters will be examined.

Abstract (croatian)

U ovome radu istražit će se utjecaj rodnih stereotipa na književnost. Rad je podijeljen na tri glavna dijela: pregled roda i rodnih stereotipa u društvu i u književnosti, povijest feminističkih pokreta i razvoj feminističke književne kritike te analiza razvoja ženskih likova u tri romana. Prvi dio rada prikazuje različite pogleda na rod, različite motivacije rodnih stereotipa te zastupljenost rodnih uloga i rodnih stereotipa u različitim žanrovima književnosti. Drugi dio rada analizira motive različitih valova feminističkih pokreta i razvoj feminističke književne kritike te njezin utjecaj na književnost. Fokus trećeg dijela rada je proučavanje razvoja ženskih likova kroz povijest te kroz različite žanrove književnosti. Nadalje, proučit će se tri važna romana, Things Fall Apart, Chinue Achebea, Alanna: The First Adventure, prvi roman serije The Song of the Lioness autorice Tamore Pierce i Marrow, Roberta Reeda te njihov prikaz i razvoj ženskih likova.

• Keywords: gender; gender stereotypes; feminist literary criticism; female characters
• Keywords (croatian): rod; rodni stereotipi; feministička književna kritika; ženski likovi
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:425082
• Study programme: Title: Integrated undergraduated university study with english language and german language; specializations in: English language, Deutsche sprache; Course: English language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-07-15 07:42:15