Doris Lessings' Ideology and Philosophy on the Female Perspective

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Recommended: Evolution of women in literature

The aim of this study is to explore and scrutinize the feminist perspectives in the selected novels of Doris Lessing with reference to her professed ideology and philosophy and in the light of the various schools of feminism. This research is basically expanded comparatively and endeavors to flesh out and determines the feministic essence and points of divergence of Lessing’s selected works by probing into her feminine concerns.
Doris Lessing is profoundly noted for her portrayal of strong women characters who belong to the world of expectation and hopeful to fulfill their feminine wishes, but the social prescriptions have closed the doors to the outside world. The women personages in Lessing’s fictions adopt various approaches in dealing and challenging with the patriarchal issues in the community. Accordingly, Doris puts her precise concentration on women’s self-image, their sheer feeling towards men, nurturing children and domestic and familial life and desired career. Such noticeable concerns and dilemma are very common to all human beings in reality.

A woman knows very well that, though a wit sends her his poems, praises her judgment, solicits her criticism, and drinks her tea, this by no means signifies that he respects her opinions, admires her understanding, or will refuse, though the rapier is denied him, to run through the body with his pen.
― Virginia Woolf, Orlando
A genuine attempt has been made in this study in order to comprehend Lessing’s worldview and outlook in the introductory chapter of the dissertation on genesis of feminism, the flourish and growth of feminist movements including their achievements and ...

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...luding colonialism, feminism, patriarchal society, autobiographical aspects and elements, the relation between the characters, the feministic essence of protagonists are discussed fully and accordingly, the feminine essence of novel (The Grass Is Singing) is determined.
The fourth chapter, titled “Engendering the Feminine Power: The New Woman and Subjectivity in The Cleft” will offer a socio-cultural and feminine analysis of Lessing’s novel The Cleft. Therefore, this chapter deals with concepts and theories offered by new historicism, Cultural materialism. Doris Lessing puts the notion of Adam and Eve creation by God under a big question and tries to convert the male-oriented attention of people to women, as the bearer of human on the earth through the primal belief of women’s presence in the world before men’s and their creation out of women’s womb as their mother.

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