Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

İngiliz Feminist Oyunlarındaki Thatcher’cı Kadınların Sosyal Feminist Açısından Okunması

Year 2019, Issue: 42, 21 - 34, 25.12.2019
https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.674996

Abstract

Bu çalışma, cinsiyet rollerine meydan okuyan İngiliz Feminist tiyatrosundaki kadınların temsili ve bu kadınlar İngiliz ilk kadın Başbakanı olan Margaret Thatcher politikasının sonucu olarak takıntılı bir şekilde güce sahip olurken nasıl sıkıştıkları üzerine odaklanır. Çalışma, ataerkil düzeni sorgulayan, güce ulaşmak için cinsiyet rollerini ters yüz eden ve sonunda Thatcher gibi tepede yalnız bırakılan aşırı hırslı kadınları tartışır. Caryl Churchill’in Top Girls oyunundaki Marlene, Churchill’in Owners adlı oyunundaki Marion ve Timberlake Wertenbaker’ın The Grace of Mary Traverse oyunundaki Mary karakterleri tartışılır. Marlene, Marion ve Mary, Thatcher İngiltere’sini karakterize eden ve güç elde etmek için hırsın yıkıcı etkilerinin temsilcileridir. Sosyalist/materyalist feminist eleştiri kuramı, hem bencil Thatcher’cı güçlü kadın tiplemelerini eleştirmek hem de kadınların pozisyonlarını ilerletecek bir kadın dayanışmanın noksanlığını ifade etmek için oyunlara uygulanır.

References

  • Betsko, K., & Koenig, R. (1987). Interviews with contemporary women playwrights. New York, NY: Beech Tree Books.
  • Bimberg, C. (1997/98). Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls and Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good as contributions to a definition of culture. Connotations, 7(3), 399-416.
  • Brewer, M. (1999). Race, sex, and gender in contemporary women’s theater: the construction of woman. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press.
  • Case, S.E. (1988). Feminism and theatre. New York: Routledge.
  • Churchill, C. (1985). Plays:1. London: Bloomsbury Methuen.
  • Churchill, C. (1996). Plays: 2 Softcops, Top Girls, Fen, Serious Money. London: Bloomsburry Methuen Drama.
  • Dahl, M. K. (1993). Constructing the subject: Timberlake Wertenbaker’s The Grace of Mary Traverse. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism. Spring, 149-159.
  • Foster, V. (1998/99). The uses of history in contemporary feminist drama: a response to Christiane Bimberg. Connotations. 8(2), 249-57.
  • Gömceli, N. (2010). Timberlake Wertenbaker and contemporary British feminist drama. Palo Alto, CA: Academia Press.
  • Gould, J., & Anderson, D. (1987). Thatcherism and British society. In K. Minogue & M. Biddiss (Eds.), Thatcherism: Personality and politics. (pp. 38-54). New York: St. Martin’s Press.
  • Keyssar, H. (1984). Feminist theatre: An introduction to plays of contemporary British and American women. London: Macmillan.
  • Merrill, L. (1988). Monsters and heroines: Caryl Churchill’s women. In P. R. Randall (Ed.), Caryl Churchill: A casebook. (pp. 71-89). New York: Garland Publishing.
  • Nailsmith, B. (2005). Carly Churchill: Top Girls. London: Methuen Drama.
  • Peacock, D. K. (1999). Thatcher’s theatre: British theatre and drama in the eighties. London: Greenwood Press.
  • Reinelt, J. (1996). Caryl Churchill and the politics of style. In W. Demastes. (Ed.), The Cambridge companion to modern British women playwrights. (406-415). London: Greenwood.
  • Solomon, A. (1981). Witches, ranters and the middle class: The plays of Caryl Churchill. Theatre. 12(2), 49-55.
  • Stephenson, H. & Langridge, N. (1997). Timberlake Wertenbaker. In Rage and reason: Women playwrights on playwrighting. (136-145). London: Methuen.
  • Tycer, A. (2008). Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls. New York: Continuum.
  • Ülker Erkan, A. B. (2010). Caryl Churchill’ın oyunlarında feminist yansımalar. İzmir: Meta Basımevi.
  • Wertenbaker, T. (1996). Timberlake Wertenbaker: Plays 1. London: Faber & Faber.

A Socialist Feminist Reading of Thatcherite Women in British Feminist Plays

Year 2019, Issue: 42, 21 - 34, 25.12.2019
https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.674996

Abstract

This study focuses on the representation of women in British feminist drama that challenges gender roles and gets stuck in having obsessive power as an outcome of the policy of the first British woman Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The study discusses excessively ambitious women who question patriarchal order and subvert gender roles to get power and finally left alone on the top like Thatcher. Marlene in Caryl Churchill’s play Top Girls, Marion in Churchill’s play Owners, Mary Traverse in Timberlake Wertenbaker’s play The Grace of Mary Traverse are discussed throughly. Marlene, Marion, and Mary are the representatives of the destructive effects of the ambition for power that characterize Thatcher’s Britain. Socialist/materialist feminism is applied to the plays both to criticize selfish Thatcherite powerful women figures and to express the lack of collaboration among women to improve their position.

References

  • Betsko, K., & Koenig, R. (1987). Interviews with contemporary women playwrights. New York, NY: Beech Tree Books.
  • Bimberg, C. (1997/98). Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls and Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good as contributions to a definition of culture. Connotations, 7(3), 399-416.
  • Brewer, M. (1999). Race, sex, and gender in contemporary women’s theater: the construction of woman. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press.
  • Case, S.E. (1988). Feminism and theatre. New York: Routledge.
  • Churchill, C. (1985). Plays:1. London: Bloomsbury Methuen.
  • Churchill, C. (1996). Plays: 2 Softcops, Top Girls, Fen, Serious Money. London: Bloomsburry Methuen Drama.
  • Dahl, M. K. (1993). Constructing the subject: Timberlake Wertenbaker’s The Grace of Mary Traverse. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism. Spring, 149-159.
  • Foster, V. (1998/99). The uses of history in contemporary feminist drama: a response to Christiane Bimberg. Connotations. 8(2), 249-57.
  • Gömceli, N. (2010). Timberlake Wertenbaker and contemporary British feminist drama. Palo Alto, CA: Academia Press.
  • Gould, J., & Anderson, D. (1987). Thatcherism and British society. In K. Minogue & M. Biddiss (Eds.), Thatcherism: Personality and politics. (pp. 38-54). New York: St. Martin’s Press.
  • Keyssar, H. (1984). Feminist theatre: An introduction to plays of contemporary British and American women. London: Macmillan.
  • Merrill, L. (1988). Monsters and heroines: Caryl Churchill’s women. In P. R. Randall (Ed.), Caryl Churchill: A casebook. (pp. 71-89). New York: Garland Publishing.
  • Nailsmith, B. (2005). Carly Churchill: Top Girls. London: Methuen Drama.
  • Peacock, D. K. (1999). Thatcher’s theatre: British theatre and drama in the eighties. London: Greenwood Press.
  • Reinelt, J. (1996). Caryl Churchill and the politics of style. In W. Demastes. (Ed.), The Cambridge companion to modern British women playwrights. (406-415). London: Greenwood.
  • Solomon, A. (1981). Witches, ranters and the middle class: The plays of Caryl Churchill. Theatre. 12(2), 49-55.
  • Stephenson, H. & Langridge, N. (1997). Timberlake Wertenbaker. In Rage and reason: Women playwrights on playwrighting. (136-145). London: Methuen.
  • Tycer, A. (2008). Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls. New York: Continuum.
  • Ülker Erkan, A. B. (2010). Caryl Churchill’ın oyunlarında feminist yansımalar. İzmir: Meta Basımevi.
  • Wertenbaker, T. (1996). Timberlake Wertenbaker: Plays 1. London: Faber & Faber.
There are 20 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Creative Arts and Writing
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Berna Ülker This is me

Publication Date December 25, 2019
Submission Date April 16, 2019
Published in Issue Year 2019 Issue: 42

Cite

APA Ülker, B. (2019). A Socialist Feminist Reading of Thatcherite Women in British Feminist Plays. Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi(42), 21-34. https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.674996

Selcuk University Journal of Faculty of Letters will start accepting articles for 2025 issues on Dergipark as of September 15, 2024.