Feminism can be loosely defined as a movement which is aimed at the liberation of women and giving them a voice to speak out for their own rights in a male-dominated society. Social theories, political movements, moral philosophies and literature, all of these have played a big role in spreading feminism across all sections of the society. But literature as a medium of expression has been most popular among the feminists largely because of its mass appeal. Feminist literature, both fiction and non-fiction, have been rampantly written over the years to put forward the feminist ideals. Contemporary Feminist Fiction Books
particularly refers to
feminist fiction books
that are written in the past fifty years or so till the present date
. Contemporary Feminist Fiction Books just like the earlier Feminist books, deal with equal rights for women, domestic violence, sexual harassment of women, sexual objectification, patriarchal domination and all other forms of oppression that women of all societies have to suffer. In addition to the traditional themes, Contemporary Feminist Fiction Books also treat bolder subjects like lesbianism, workplace rights, equal pay and so on.
Contemporary feminist fiction is written by many writers such as
Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Bertha Harris, Suchitra Bhattacharya, Erica Jong and many others. All these writers are passionate about the rights of women and their fiction books try to seek justice for their counterparts.
Some Famous Contemporary Feminist Fiction Books
Color Purple (1982) by Alice Walker. The novel tells the story of a young black woman fighting for her rights not only in a racist white culture but also in a patriarchal black society. The novel was a best-seller which was later made into a movie.
Sula (1973) by Toni Morrison. This book depicts two black woman friends in America . Sula was nominated for the National Book Award.
Dahana by Suchitra Bhattacharya. The novel depicts the trauma of a young wife who is physically molested by a group of rowdies right in front of her husband. The book shows how society always blames the woman in such circumstances and how another woman comes forward to help the victim whereas her own family deserts her.
Love (1976) by Bertha Harris. It is a lesbian feminist fiction, quite bold in its concept. The book uses post-modern techniques of narration.
Fear of Flying (1973) by Eric Jong. The book deals with the issue of unhappy marriages and boldly states the right of women to fulfill their sexual needs outside of their marriage if their husbands fail to satisfy them.
The Mandarins (1954) by Simone de Beauvoir. The novel makes a strong note on the political rights of women.
Contemporary Feminist Fiction Books are hard-hitting accounts of various feminist issues. Reading them can be both informative and enjoyable.
