The Metamorphosis of Normative Feminism in Pride and Prejudice as Descriptive Feminism in Beloved: Inevitable Path of a Woman

Abstract

Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice and Toni Morrison in Beloved view normative and descriptive feminism especially through the character analysis of Elizabeth and Sethe. Austen presents Elizabeth through the normative feminist view as a woman with the power to judge the situation, to make opinion and to take the decision according to her understanding and intelligence. In the male-oriented society, she establishes herself as an independent being and challenges the second-rate woman concept. On the other way, Toni Morrison views that Sethe moulded by normative feminist characteristics fells herself as a topic of descriptive feminist concept- woman of inherited identity who has to make herself weak and subordinate to man in every aspect. Having strong determination and capacity of getting freedom, her struggle to stand independently causes her isolation from the male-centred community which leads to her distract mentality and incapability to breathe in this society. This paper aims at presenting Elizabeth as an unequivocal voice and model of normative feminist view to exert woman as equally capable, qualified, respected and important being as man. The paper also aims at showing how Elizabeth with normative feminist quality in Pride and Prejudice has been transfigured as Sethe with descriptive feminism in Beloved, whose struggle to lead an independent self and to exercise her potentiality as woman self is hindered by male mechanism which is an inevitable path of a woman.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n13p425