The Development of Girls

A recently published master's thesis:

Η διάπλαση των κοριτσιών στα μυθιστορήματα  “Ανεμοδαρμένα Ύψη” Emily Brontë, “Μικρές Κυρίες” Louisa M. Alcott και “Τζέιν Έιρ” Charlotte Brontë: Αφηγηματολογική και Φεμινιστική Προσέγγιση (The Development of Girls in the Novels "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë, "Little Women" by Louisa M. Alcott and "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë: A Narrative and Feminist Approach)

Ευαγγελία Μελεμέ (Evangelia Meleme)

University of Thessaly, 2025

This master’s thesis investigates the depiction of female protagonists in three famous literary works: Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. The study uses a bibliographic review to examine how these novels portray the development of their main female characters from childhood to adulthood, utilizing feminist and narrative frameworks. The feminist analysis explores how these narratives depict the heroines' efforts to overcome societal constraints and achieve selfrealization and autonomy. It uses feminist literary theory to assess how these texts either challenge or support current gender norms. Simultaneously, the narrative examination considers the authors' methods in crafting these stories, with particular emphasis on elements such as narrative voice, focalization, and temporal structure. The aim of the study is to provide a thorough understanding of how these literary works reflect and influence the societal norms and expectations of their times, making a significant contribution to the history of literature and the evolution of women's roles and identity.