Women’s Oppression in The Moon and Sixpence:

From the Perspecive of Feminist Criticism

200111 Akari Saito

Summary
Main character・・・Strickland
The story of a genius painter’s life
Strickland suddenly immersed himself in painting after the age of 40.
He abandoned his family and moved to Tahiti.
Eventually, he completes his masterpiece.

Characters
Strickland
FriendStruveMarriedMarried（in Tahiti）

Love

MarriedBlancheMrs. Strickland

Ata

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About this thesis

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About this Thesis

BACKGROUND
Few previous studies focused on female characters→From the perspective of feminist criticism, “The Moon and Sixpence” has NOT been
sufficiently examined.

SUBJECTTo critique “The Moon and Sixpence” from the perspective of feminist criticism

PURPOSETo identify what values about gender this work affirms or denies

METHOD
Analysis of the text from the perspective of feminist criticism

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Depiction of male characters

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Strickland

Disrespectful values towards women“Women are mentally poor”“Women are merely an outlet for sexual desire”

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StruveHe puts his wife, Blanche in the role of “gentle wife”
His wife did not want to nurse Strickland. He said “Where is usual kind you?”“You had some help when you were in a very difficult situation, didn’t you?
Don’t you want to help someone in the same way?”

He blames Blanche“When I was a kid, I had declared that I was going to marry the neighbor’s daughter.
She would have given me a son who would have taken over my business.”→He expects his wife to give birth to a child as a part of wife’s role. He blames Blanche.

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Depiction of female characters

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Mrs. Strickland

Caring about other’s opinions and be manipulative
Spread false rumors
Strickland eloped with a woman

Gathering sympathy from others

Ashamed to earn money“I am ashamed to have a successful business even though I am women.”【To summarize・・・】
Because she is woman, she has to care about other’s opinions
Because she is a woman, she is ashamed of her business talents→ Gender-based oppression

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Blanche (Stuve’s wife)

She has a history of being saved by her husband
She was a live-in governess in an aristocratic home.
She became pregnant by the family’s son and expelled from home.
When she tried to commit suicide, Struve walked by and took her as his wife.

【To summarize・・・】
Because she is woman, she suffered from pregnancy
She may feel pressure to be a good wife because she owed him andneeded male presence to be accepted in society→ Gender-based oppression

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Ata

She is a convenient and slave-like existence for Strickland
She does all the housework and does not ask for anything in return from him
Strickland says “Ata gives me everyting I want in women”

She supports Strickland financially as well→Freeing Strickland from the burden of being a man in the patriarchal system of “providing forthe family”, and subordinate to men as under patriarchy.

【To summarize・・・】
She is portrayed as the embodiment of the ideal for men, and must do everthing by herself→ Gender-based oppression

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Comparison of male and female portrayals

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Comparison of male and female portrayals【Common feature of men】・・・・・・Imposing their ideals on women【Common feature of women】・・・Oppressed because they are women①Compared to men, women’s innermost feelings are less discussed→Women’s dissatisfaction may not have surfaced②Women are judged by men’s values→This work affirms musculine values

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Conclusions

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Conclusions

Conclusions
Female characters are subject to gender-based oppression.
Women who are convenient for men are valued as “good women”.
This work was written based on masculine values and previous studies overlooked that.

SignificanceThe comparison of male and female characters, which had not been done in previous studies.
Suggested an interpretation of this work as affirming masculine values.
Pointed out Struve's oppression of women.