Feminine identities in Ann Oakley’s novels: A gender challenge or a cultural shock?

Abstract

The late twentieth century is notable for the outburst of interest in gender as a construct formed by a definite social and cultural milieu and existing in certain discourses. The discourse of Ann Oakley’s fiction presents a broad spectrum of gender identities mirroring societal mores. The present study qualifies feminine identities in terms of autonomy–connectedness as stereotyped attributes. The transformation of deep-rooted patterns of behaviourist and speech practices results in a specific verbal form and character depiction. The female characters in question differ from the generally acknowledged model of women subject to masculine dominance. Oakley’s feminine characters are active in constructing their own lives: they are strong and decisive, self-confident and determined. These traits are verbally represented in relevant lexical and stylistic ways, directing an interpretation of the contents of the texts.