The Garrick Yearに関する一考察

Emmaの「女性性」と「母性性」の分析

抄録

The heroine of The Garrick Year, Emma Evans, is the wife of a theatre actor, David Evans. She gets married with him not because of love but in search of danger and excitement in life. However, their married life is monotonous and not adventurous at all. She gives birth to two babies against her intention. She thinks that it is due to his carelessness. Furthermore, she feels that she has lost much through her marriage: that she has become just a housewife contrary to her hopesand expectations for the future. Just then, she gets a chance to be a television news-reader in London and he to go to Hereford to performthe main character in a play. Both insist on pursuing their careers. Finally, Emma gives up her job, agreeing to accompany him with theirchildren to Hereford. However, she gets frustrated in her desire forself-realization. She has to sacrifice her own needs owing to her husband and children. In Hereford, Emma falls in love with David's director, Wyndham Farrar. This is to compensateforherfrustrated self-realization, ersense of emptiness and her sterile marriage. However, she resists being drawn into a love affair with Wyndham due to her concern for her children and other fears. David also falls in extra marital love in Hereford. Yet, after several ordeals they try to restore their relationship because of their children. At the end of the novel, the author, Margaret Drabble, describes the scene of a sheep's belly clutched by a snake. I think the author wants to say that their peaceful married life will not continue for long. In this paper, I have mainly analysed Emma's femininity and her motherhood.