The Depiction of Women and Their Mental Illness in Michael Cunningham’s The Hours

Abstract

The portrayal of women from man point of view in literature has been a subject of controversy for centuries. Male authors have been portraying women as stereotypes, objectified them and limited their roles in society. The present research aims to investigate how feminist theories and approaches have evolved to address this issue and how it has impacted literature? Through exploring the strategies that feminist authors have employed to subvert or challenge male authors' problematic portrayal of women. The dissertation analyses the extent to which male authors have responded to feminist critique and whether their portrayal of women and their mental illness has changed over time or not. By examining the current study case, the investigator came to a conclusion that Michael Cunningham's The Hours has successfully portrayed women and their mental illnesses in different ways.