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Chapter Three Iris’ Resistance and Reconstruction of Female-Identity ... 35

3.1 Subversion Against Patriarchal Gaze ....................... 35

3.1.1 Iris’ Secret Exploration of Outside World ..................... 36

3.1.2 Iris’ Creation of Her Own Shelter ............................ 36

Conclusion ............................ 45

Chapter Three  Iris’ Resistance and Reconstruction of Female-Identity

3.1 Subversion Against Patriarchal Gaze

There are different kinds of gaze in human society, such as race gaze and gender gaze. Gender gaze is common in patriarchal society. With hierarchal observation, Iris was gazed by men and even some women. Resistance against patriarchal gaze was of great importance for Iris to resist against patriarchal power discourse and to fight for her own physical and spiritual freedom. Therefore, Iris bravely subverted against the miserable fate of being gazed by patriarchal power discourse through courageously exploring the outside world and creating a shelter for herself.  

3.1.1 Iris’ Secret Exploration of Outside World

Iris’ one way of resisting against patriarchal gaze was exploring the outside world. This could help Iris to escape from the ubiquitous gaze and control of Richard and Winifred. Thus, she gained herself a respite and some comfort successfully. 

She had been confined within home for most of time in the early years of her life. She got less freedom after she married Richard. Home had become a prison for Iris, since Patriarchal power discourse was in the central tower to observe her. This could guarantee that Iris was always visible for them so that they could exert better control on her. In order to gain more physical freedom and escape from the gaze of Winifred and Richard, Iris would sneak out to explore the outside world from time to time. 

Conclusion

Margret Atwood is one of the most famous and prominent female writers in Canada. In most of her novels, Atwood has showed her deep concern for women’ living situations through directly demonstrating women’ identity predicaments in the world dominated by men. She also reveals the resistance of awakening women toward the cruelty and savageness of patriarchal power discourse so as to reconstruct their female identity and to present their power and courage. Using her incredibly sharp pen, Atwood has presented Iris’ life experience in The Blind Assassin. And Michel Foucault’s theory of power and discourse provides a powerful theoretical framework for the interpretation of Iris’ female-identity in a society dominated by patriarchal power discourse.

With the guidance of Foucault’ theory of power and discourse, the first chapter of this thesis aims to analyze the ways that patriarchal power discourse used to discipline Iris. And it can be concluded in three aspects. First, hierarchal observation. Iris was observed by men and also women. Through their constant observation on Iris, patriarchal power discourse was capable of easily controlling Iris. Second, spatial delimitation. There were strict rest本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。