Multiplicity of the mirror: gender representation in Oyeyemi's Boy, snow, bird

Date of Award

2015

Degree Name

M.A. in English

Department

Department of English

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Tereza M. Szeghi

Abstract

This thesis explores the spectrum of female representation and feminine experience in Helen Oyeyemi's Boy, snow, bird, a postmodern fairy tale retelling of Snow White." Within the novel, Oyeyemi creates several female characters that represent various feminine experiences. The image of the mirror enables me to navigate these characters and their stories. As each character searches for her identity within the constraints of patriarchal oppression, she develops a voice through the act of storytelling. I contend that the novel, as a postmodern fairy tale, engages in social-resistance as it uses the mirror to expose and confront patriarchal constructions of women."

Keywords

Oyeyemi, Helen. Boy, snow, bird Criticism, Textual, Sex role in literature, Feminist literary criticism, Fairy tales Criticism, Textual, Literature, Gender, Snow White, Fairy Tales, Feminism, Helen Oyeyemi, Postmodern Fairy Tales, Contemporary Fairy Tales, Mirror Imagery, Boy, Snow, Bird

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2015, author

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