Date of Graduation
2000
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MA
Committee Chair
Kathleen E. McNerney
Abstract
This thesis discusses the importance of the cultural elements within a literary text when an analysis of the text is accomplished. Two novels are analyzed in terms of their cultural setting: The Bell Jar , an American novel set in the 1950s written by Sylvia Plath, and Crónica del desamor , a Spanish novel set in the late 1970s, written by Rosa Montero. A cultural analysis of the novels appears necessary in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of them. At the same time, a cultural analysis based on literary works is a valuable instrument in investigating the cultural settings that generated these works. Both novels bring to the fore distinctive feminist experiences. The focus of the analysis is circumscribed especially around this aspect. A comparative approach of the novels’ cultural contexts reveals both similarities and discrepancies between American and Spanish cultures. Many similarities can be detected between the novels’ cultural settings despite the twenty-five-year time gap. Therefore, the analysis is suggesting that Spanish culture evolved more slowly than American culture.
Recommended Citation
Lagunas, Sonia, "Culture-specific issues in feminist voices: A comparative study of "The Bell Jar" and "Cronica del desamor"." (2000). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 10525.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/10525