The Role Of Women In Society In The Works Of Willian Styron

Abstract

William Styron, author of four novels—Lie Down in Darkness (1951), The Long March (1952), Set This House on Fire (1960), and The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967)—uses Freudian psychology in his works. His female characters are poorly developed, weak women. They let life wash over them, passively allowing men to control their lives. The harder life is, the more suffering they do, the more the women feel they are fulfilling society's expectations. However, the women are not happy, proving that something is lacking in their lives. Noted as one of the distinguished writers of the Post-World War II generation, Styron shows his bias against women by stereotyping them, depicting them as shadows instead of as real people. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate Styron's treatment of female characters.