War in white sheets

Abstract

Abstract: The dichotomy between the "angel in the house' and the "devil in the flesh" used to symbolize the restrictions facing women in 19th century literature. With the advance of the different stages of feminism, this began to slowly dissipate as more female heroines began to be depicted as a major part of both the private and public spheres. However, does a more prolific female presence eliminate this opposition? This research paper will focus on whether such a distinction continues to preside over the works of female novelists, and the works under study are Hanan Al-Shaykh's The Story of Zahra and Women of Sand and Myrrh in addition to Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook.