What Happened to Mother?: Patriarchy, Oppression, and Reconciliation in Janet Fitch's White Oleander

• Other Authors: Kelsky, Jaime L. (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: English literature
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-3211

Janet Fitch's _White Oleander_ is a complex novel that on the surface appears to be about Astrid's journey from one foster home to the next. The complexity of the novel, however, lies within the relationships between Astrid and the women in her world and how these relationships are actually framed by the men in the novel. The tensions among the women in "White Oleander" are especially, though not exclusively, a consequence of their relationships with men. The first chapter examines the role that patriarchy plays in the novel and the effect it has on the women. The second chapter analyzes the notion of double oppression. Double oppression occurs in "White Oleander" insofar as the male characters oppress the female characters, and in return the female characters displace their oppression onto Astrid. In the third chapter, I discuss the notion of fantasy mother and how Fitch depicts the fantasy mother in "White Oleander". In the last chapter, I examine the reconciliation process between Astrid and Ingrid. === A Thesis submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. === Fall Semester, 2004. === November 9, 2004. === Double Oppression, Matriarchy, Foster Care, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, Fantasy Mother === Includes bibliographical references. === R. Bruce Bickley, Professor Directing Thesis; John J. Fenstermaker, Committee Member; Anne E. Rowe, Committee Member.