The conflicts of women in literature, politics and relationships: A comparative reading of The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing and A Strange Woman by Leyla Erbil

This dissertation presents a comparative study of two novels, written in the twentieth century by two female authors from different cultures and countries, in the light of feminist literary criticism. These novels are The Golden Notebook by English novelist, Doris Lessing, and A Strange Woman, by Lessing's Turkish contemporary, Leyla Erbil. In the first part, feminist literary criticism in Europe is presented in detail, regarding the female experience of literature, relations with other people and politics focusing mostly on Elaine Showalter's point of view. Then, a brief summary of feminist theory in Turkey is given. In the main part of the work, these two novels are compared and contrasted. The experiences of the two female protagonists in literature, relationships and politics are analysed. It can be demonstrated that these educated, skilful and economically independent women are dedicated to rebel against social conventions, which do not offer a place for them, and that they pay for this rebellion with fragmented lives and selves. It is highly interesting to find that two novelists from different countries and cultural backgrounds have written similar novels, dealing with the women's question, and that they adopt a similar style and approach. Moreover, while a free, adult woman has been portrayed in The Golden Notebook, a young lady in pursuit of freedom, with a mother who eagerly accepts male dominance, has been depicted in A Strange Woman. Therefore, these two novels present the emancipation process of women with differing points of view. Hence, this work is intended to offer a comprehensive study of two novels, dealing with the personal and social experiences of twentieth century feminists in England and Turkey.