Date of Award
5-3-2024
Degree Type
UG Dissertation (Restricted)
Department
English
First Advisor
Prof. CHAN Wing Chun, Julia
Abstract
In the field of feminist literature, women’s bodily integrity has long been a matter of discussion, especially on the relationship between their reproductive systems and sexuality, where some feminist critics, like Abigail S. Trombley, claim that utilizing contraception can liberate women from oppression. However, the continuation of women’s oppression still exists even after the utilization of contraception and female sexual liberation, including the escalation of the objectification of women’s bodies and the fact that the government and social authorities are the main governors of women’s reproductive systems. Dystopian novels highlight the perpetuation of women’s oppression through the widespread of contraception and the biopolitical measure imposed on women’s reproductive systems. Through the analysis of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932), this paper delves into how the separation of women’s sexuality and reproduction in fact reinforces the oppression of women. Through investigating the specific biopolitical strategies employed in the mentioned dystopias, I argue that the act of divorcing sexuality from reproduction serves as an essential tool for perpetuating and exacerbating women’s oppression, effectively confining them to mere vessels for reproduction and subjecting them to a multitude forms of control and exploitation. By examining the oppression faced by the female characters in The Handmaid’s Tale and Brave New World, this paper reveals how women’s physical autonomy is heavily influenced by biopolitics instead of their own choice.
Language
English
Copyright
The copyright of this dissertation is owned by its author. Any reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this thesis without express authorization is strictly prohibited.
Recommended Citation
Chan, P. (2024). From compulsory motherhood to compulsory contraception: A comparative analysis on The Handmaid’s Tale and Brave New World (UG dissertation, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from http://commons.ln.edu.hk/eng_fyp/92