Mothers and Wives: Representation of Women in Lawrence's Sons and Lovers and Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway

Abstract

This article examines the representation of women in D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers and Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, two classic modernist novels. Second-wave feminism constitutes the conceptual framework of the paper. The paper argues that despite differences in style and subject matter, both novels critique societal expectations and constraints placed upon women in the early 20th century. Both authors highlight the agency and complexity of women while challenging patriarchal conventions through the representation of female characters. The article argues that these works are still relevant in their depiction of the ongoing struggle for the pursuit of women's liberation and gender equality.