A recent Brontë-related M.A. thesis:
The Presence of the New Woman in Victorian, Modern, and Contemporary Literature: Jane Eyre, The Years, and The Fraud
Elizabeth Nadine Cardenas, California State University, 2024
My project explores three texts that showcase the gender inequality faced by Victorian women and traces the progression of the New Woman in each text. I discuss how the New Woman emerges in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Virginia Woolf’s The Years, and Zadie Smith’s The Fraud. I argue that the New Woman is not another gender ideal for women to adhere to but rather a symbol of progress. My project looks at how the women in each text respond to the suffocating restrictions of patriarchal society and how
the desires of these women showcase the demand for equal opportunity and liberation. In my thesis, I emphasize the importance of recognizing Eurocentric feminism and the importance of considering intersectionality when discussing feminist issues. My project explores how the New Woman evolves in each novel and how each author addresses different feminist issues and desires such as equal education, financial independence, and a purpose greater than being forced into the role of housewife. My thesis argues that the idea of the New Woman is not limited to the time period in which she emerged, and her
significance is still important to consider today. The New Woman is an icon that evokes hope for the future of women, and she is ever evolving.
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