Abstract
The presence of feminism in Carver’s work is not studied in depth. The attention is focused on the description of masculine characters while their feminine counterparts have been neglected. In fact, in Carver’s female characters can be noticed their strive for freedom and escape which for men is normal but for women can be considered heroic. Carver gives enough space for female characters to develop and show their traits. Therefore, in his work one can see the presence of the topic of gender issues which during the ‘70s and ‘80s became the predominant topic of concern. Carver depicts in the female characters those characteristics that embody the favourite topic of the feminists, the “conflict” between masculinity and femininity. His feminism is not perceived in terms of incompatibility and equality but rather on the position, status as well as the role they have in the society. His female characters are really complex. During the second wave of feminism in the United States the attention was focused mainly on middle class women. The same was reflected in Carver’s work. Eventually, the working-class people especially women are given a particular significance, which was a novelty for the time. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v4n1s1p155
Highlights
Introduction to Feminism inCarver’s WorkThe presence of women in Raymond Carver’s work is significant in understanding the contribution of this writer in the American literature
To focus on women means to focus on masculinity as well, because the two cannot stand apart from each other
A typical example is the way Olla feels the sensation of the triumph when she shares her house with her husband in “Feathers,” affirming that it “can constitute a positive, lifeaffirming space.”2 It is concluded that if men find an escape from confines of the society, they never use that freedom to
Summary
The presence of women in Raymond Carver’s work is significant in understanding the contribution of this writer in the American literature. His work can be analyzed under the light of feminist criticism While portraying gender, it seems that Carver’s work is really close to Hemingway, especially in stories such as “Tell the Women We’re Going” or “So Much Water So Close to Home”. Based on the feminist discourse of the period, his description of the lives in the home, with no possibility of escape or change becomes a symbol of the depression that results from its monotony Despite their inferior status women demonstrate a desire to change their status in their lives and to become less independent on others which makes them superior to the lethargy found in men in most of Carver’s stories. The question of masculinity, and how it is represented in Carver’s studies, is tackled in Josef Benson’s article “Masculinity as Homosocial Enactment in Three Stories by Raymond Carver.” Benson demonstrates how Carver’s work is dominated by male figures who are dependent on other males to prove their masculinity, generating homosocial desire
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