Exploring Gendered Narratives: The Portrayal of Female Experiences in the Short Stories of Katherine Mansfield and Alice Munro

This article explores the portrayal of female experiences in the works of Katherine Mansfield and Alice Munro, comparing their narrative techniques, thematic concerns, and depictions of female agency. By examining Mansfield’s modernist approach and Munro’s realist style, the study highlights how both authors address the complexities of women’s lives within societal and familial constraints. Mansfield’s use of free indirect discourse, symbolism, and stream of consciousness creates fragmented emotional landscapes that subtly reveal the limitations women face. In contrast, Munro’s detailed character development and intricate dialogues provide a more grounded, direct exploration of women’s resistance and transformation. The article also investigates how both authors examine the influence of class, gender, and family expectations, with Mansfield critiquing the emotional costs of class-based roles, while Munro focuses on gender-specific familial dynamics. Ultimately, the article concludes that both Mansfield and Munro offer profound insights into female agency —Mansfield through implied resistance and Munro through active confrontations with societal norms. Despite their differing techniques and cultural contexts, both authors contribute significantly to the ongoing exploration of gender and the complexities of female identity in literature.

کلیدواژه ها:

Katherine Mansfield ، Alice Munro ، female agency ، narrative techniques ، modernism ، realism ، gendered narratives ، societal expectations