Brief Study of Social Culture Color Embodied in The Hours - Analysis of the Patriarchism in The Hours

摘要

Michal Cunningham is one of the most brilliant contemporary American writers. The Hours, published in 1998, has gained a resounding success and awarded Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award. Patriarchy is one of the key terms in feminist literary criticism. Feminists consider that it is a social system in which men are the principal authority figures. This paper aims at pointing out Virginia, Laura and Clarissa these three females in The Hours fight against their tragedy fate under the patriarchy society. By analyzing the hard course of their fighting and pursuing, this paper designs to explore the root of female's tragedy - ineradicable patriarchy. Thus, the coexistence of revolting and compromising make them lose image during their way of resistance and pursuit. Therefore, this paper has the positive meaning for the feminist movement and female liberation, which offers a new possibility that women's alliance overthrow the patriarchy downrightly, arises the reflection of female issues and continues fighting for female's real liberation.