A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF GENDER SUBJECTIVITY IN HENRY JAMES’ THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY

Shah Mir, Saima Jahangir

Abstract


Reassessment and interpretation of gender dynamics in the current social order has been prevalent theme within gender discourses. The yoke of subordination borne by women as readers, writers or fictional characters in the patriarchal pyramid occupies a central space across the whole spectrum of debates. This study utilizes a qualitative mode of inquiry which is centered on textual analysis. The present study evaluates the instances of gender subjectivity and patterns of subjugation within the textual arena invested with hegemonic ideologies as depicted in the novel The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. The paper employs feminist critical discourse analysis as a tool to analyze The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James in order to dissect the underlying ideologies present in the Victorian time period and investigates discourses of subjectivity. The findings of the study demonstrate that notwithstanding temporal advancements, gender power structures remain intact, and women continue to suffer under patriarchal power structures.

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Keywords


gender subjectivity; feminine discourse, Victorian fiction, critical discourse

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejlll.v5i2.275

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