Introduction

British women writers from the late 1700s to the Modern era have intricately explored marriage and motherhood in their novels. Rather than using marriage as a mere plot device, they framed it as a social issue—an oppressive inevitability. This paper examines the British woman’s subjective identity beyond marriage and motherhood by analyzing selected texts from British women writers across centuries. These novelists challenged the notion that motherhood defines womanhood by depicting strong-willed, courageous women who, despite societal pressures to marry, forged and maintained their individual identities.

Historically, unmarried and childless women were deemed incomplete and unworthy of respect. This paper confronts that absurd belief through characters who defy conventional ideals of wives and mothers, demonstrating resolve, individuality, and conviction. In contrast, some characters succumb to societal expectations, reinforcing patriarchy. This study compares these two archetypes, tracing their causes and effects. Additionally, it explores the authors’ personal lives—their marriages and children (if any)—to analyze the interplay of reality and fiction in their novels, applying Elaine Showalter’s theory of the “woman novelist’s heroine” and the “woman novelist’s hero.”

Research Questions

Research Objectives

Literature Review

Friedan (1963), a leading second-wave feminist, exposed the patriarchal narrative that confined women to the roles of wives and mothers in The Feminine Mystique. She argued that women could pursue careers like men and that marriage and motherhood should be voluntary, not obligatory.

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