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106581

Scapegoating and the Dilemma of Motherhood: A Critical Reading of Doris Lessing’s The Fifth Child

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Last updated: 25 Dec 2024

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Abstract

Feminism is a socio-political movement that aims at bringing about fundamental changes in society in favor of women. Unlike many other female writers, Lessing feminist approach has marked a transition that has been important in feminist criticism. Lessing is an untraditional feminist as she calls not for equality between men and women in social and political rights but for defending women in the context of the given social pressures. That is the influence of traditions and social conventions on the lives of women. Harriet's sufferings from the different social and psychological pressures as a result of, first, deviating from the dominant social conventions regarding family construction and maternal life and, second, giving birth to an abnormal child expose her a scapegoat from an implicit feminist point of view. She is scapegoated for making choices that are not in line with what the society believes in. At another level, Harriet has to undergo a dilemma as she has to choose either to be a dedicated mother through caring for her abnormal child, or to act as a perfect wife through neglecting the abnormal child and caring for the husband and the family well-being. She is split between her duties as a wife and her requirements as a dedicated mother. In brief, Harriet's experiences as a dedicated mother, on the one hand, and a perfect wife in light of the different circumstances that have characterized her life, on the other, have exposed her as an implicit feminist figure.

DOI

10.21608/opde.2018.106581

Authors

First Name

Mohamed Fathi Helaly Khalaf

Last Name

Khalaf

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Volume

65

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

14739

Issue Date

2018-07-01

Receive Date

2020-08-09

Publish Date

2018-07-01

Page Start

335

Page End

351

Print ISSN

1110-2721

Online ISSN

2735-3591

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https://opde.journals.ekb.eg/article_106581.html

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https://opde.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=106581

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11

Type

Original Article

Type Code

1,140

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education

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https://opde.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Scapegoating and the Dilemma of Motherhood: A Critical Reading of Doris Lessing’s The Fifth Child

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Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023