The Influence of the Development of Feminism on Women's Self awakening in the 20th Century

-- A brief analysis of the characters in The Hours

Abstract

The development of western feminism in the 20th century has experienced three waves. During this period, western women continued to strive for equal rights like men had through feminist movements and trends of thought, which provided an ideological and theoretical basis for women's awakening. In 2003, The Hours won the Oscar, bringing feminism into the public's view. The film tells of the inextricable relationship between three women of different times and the novel Mrs. Dalloway. The stories of the three heroines occur in the three waves of feminism respectively. Their struggle and growth represent the development of feminism in different periods, which is also an obvious feature of the unprecedented rise of women's gender consciousness. This paper mainly analyzes the film language of the three female characters from the perspective of micro or macro feminism and narrates them through the sequence of the film plot and time development, thus reflecting the influence of the development of feminism on women's self-awakening in the 20th century.