“Muted group” in Under Western Eyes: An analysis of female characters

Abstract

This paper aims at evaluating Joseph Conrad’s Under Western Eyes vis-vis female characters and their actions. The novel is asite where one finds the company of powerful women involvingin social and political activities. Under Western Eyes revealsfemale homosocial relationship while emphasizing women’sdominant control over men along with their social involvements.Furthermore, women’s roles are more pervasive and strongerthan those of Joseph Conrad’s earlier novels. Conrad employs adifferent and non-patriarchal culture in Under Western Eyes inwhich income, wealth, and power are distributed equallybetween men and women. Hence, the novel shows that themuted group or women are able to break the boundaries of malegroup insofar as they participate in social ceremonies and /orpolitical rituals. Incidentally, the novel introduces a new subjectboth in Conrad’s literary career and his era when many of hisliterary contemporaries insisted on a male-dominated society intheir writings.

Keywords

• joseph conrad
• gender
• cultural studies
• homosociality
• under western eyes