A Feminist Reinterpretation of Women Characters in Victorian English Novels

Abstract

Victorian English novels present a complex and often contradictory representation of women, shaped by rigid social norms, patriarchal ideologies, and emerging feminist consciousness. Traditionally, female characters in Victorian literature were interpreted through moral, domestic, and submissive frameworks that reinforced the ideology of separate spheres. However, feminist literary criticism has enabled a radical reinterpretation of these women characters, revealing their resistance, agency, psychological depth, and subversion of patriarchal authority. This paper undertakes a feminist reinterpretation of women characters in selected Victorian English novels, focusing on works by Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy. Through the lenses of liberal feminism, Marxist feminism, and feminist narratology, the paper argues that Victorian women characters are not merely passive victims but active negotiators of identity, desire, and autonomy. The study highlights how feminist readings challenge traditional interpretations and reclaim female subjectivity within a male-dominated literary canon.

Keywords: Feminism, Victorian novel, women characters, patriarchy, gender, reinterpretation