[Thesis Title Page]

Feminism: A Feminist and Critical Analysis of Donnes Poetry

The Flea and Woman's ConstancyA Research Proposal Presented to the Faculty

OfDepartment Of EnglishNational University of Modern LanguagesSupervisor

Dr. Akbar SajidIn Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

of Master of English

By

Farrukh Iqbal December, 2014

National University of Modern Languages Islamabad

Multan CampusDecember, 2014

ABSTRACT

The research comprises post-structuralist techniques to find out social and cultural discrimination towards women in Renaissance lifestyle. It is designed to discover how John Donne has portrayed the marginalization of women in The Flea and Woman's Constancy. More specifically, this research is designed to discover how females at the edges are considered as an annoyed creature from Renaissance viewpoint regarding their patriarchal viewpoint. The literary textual research further is designed at determining the common reasons of feminism and the needs of women to obtain freedom regarding the social and cultural viewpoint of the females at the limits.Keywords: Feminism; Gender Discrimination; Femininities; Renaissance Period

1.1 INTRODUCTIONThe aim of the existing research is to explain and make clear the techniques Donne has designed and represented the marginalized women in their poetry from a particular perspective of feminism. As feminism encourages various opinions, such as gender changes, gender inequality and gender oppression; hence, the women in The Flea and Woman's Constancy proper in the perspective of existing research. Moreover, the research tends to show marginalization of women from a Renaissance feminist perspective.Donne has proven amazing skills in illustrating the numbers and developing a well-knitted strategy. They are generally a feminist and were one of very few men in the Renaissance era, who dared to increase the words against social and cultural inequalities, presented by patriarchal cultures. 1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH

Donnes The Flea and Woman's Constancy has a good spot in contemporary feminist literary works even in the literature. Feminist poet is involvedwith both comprising the sexualities ofwomenin literary worksas well as female'splacein patriarchal cultures, through providing words to thewomenat the edges. Main to the oppressive patriarchy is explanations of what it isto beawomanin patriarchal culture or society.1.3 PURPOSE OF RESEARCHConstruction of women identities and psychological oppression towards women, in The Flea and Woman's Constancy are the center of attention of analysis. The main purpose of this research is to find the oppressive components of patriarchy which usually marginalize independence of women identification.1.4 DELIMITATION OF STUDYThe analysis focuses on the critical study of poetry of The Flea and Woman's Constancy. The analysis does not include the other texts of John Donne.1.5 LITERATURE REVIEW

The analysis has used the theoretical frameworks advocated by Abrams, Woolf, ElaineShowalter, Cameron, DeborahTennon, Dale Spender, Friedan, Kate Miller, Bell Hooks, Mary Wollstonecraft, Sara Mills, Walter Nash etc. whose feminist conceptscan benecessary to createa knowingon femininities and the oppression of male dominance towards women. According to them womanliness is a social construct. The complexity of the age is reflected in the written literature of John Donne.

1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGYThe analysis pursuesdescriptive approach and an illustrativestrategy, and its resultsare basedon an in-depth critical and literary feminist analysis of the poems The Flea and Woman's Constancy. Since poemshave been publishedwith a highly effective feminist perspective hence, some components of this placementhave been takenfor analysis. Moreover, Feminist Stylistics Methodswill be appliedtoevaluatethe text messages.1.7 RESEARCH QUESTIONS1. How John Donne represent the oppression of male dominance towards women in The Flea and Woman's Constancy?2. How does Donne give a strong voice to the women at the margins in The Flea and Woman's Constancy?REFERENCESBell, Ilona. Betrothal: The Good Morrow. John Donne Journal. 22 (2003): 23-30

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