Female Oppression in 'The Bell Jar' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

Pre-University Paper from the year 2013 in the subject Literature - Comparative Literature, grade: A, , language: English, abstract: The aim of this essay is to discuss the notion that the representation of female oppression in literature transcends cultural differences by looking at The Bell Jar and A Thousand Splendid Suns. In order to discuss this notion I researched background information about the representation of female oppression in literature and the different cultures represented in the texts. The essay focuses on female sexuality and the position of women in relationships as indicators for oppression in society. In order to further compare the differences in the nature of the oppression of women, other works and literary critics have been considered. Furthermore the use of literary techniques such as stylistic devices and symbolism has been examined to trace connections between the works. The conclusion that was found was that both, The Bell Jar and A Thousand Splendid Suns comment on female oppression in their cultures. The different ways of discussing and presenting the oppression were found to be due to the different contexts of composition.