Critique [of Between Shadow and Rock: The Woman in Armenian American Literature by Margaret Bedrosian

Abstract

“Between Shadow and Rock …” discusses how this ethnic literature reflects the place of women in Armenian American society. Few works are published by Armenian women. When women appear in Armenian novels of fathers and sons, they are often foils or narrowly portrayed in terms of stereotypes (e.g. loving mother, dutiful wife). Various themes recur in this ethnic genre: political upheaval and violence, the loss of homeland and the stress of immigration to the United States. Such themes call attention to the subordinate position of Armenian American women and their limited scope in society. Male characters expect women to offer psychological support and to suffer silently, to demonstrate qualities which represent a lost homeland such as endurance and fertility and to reject pressure in the U.S. to modify traditional behavior.