Published Paper Details:

The pervasive and fluid regulations and societal boundaries have confined women since time immemorial. Female authors therefore relied on writing by portraying fictional characters who revolted against the shackles imposed upon them by the male dominated society. In Victorian age, women were subjected to gendered expectations. Victorian Literature is characterized by the writings that emerged during Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901) in Great Britain. The contributions made by Victorian women in the canon of literature is remarkable. Victorian Feminist literature proved instrumental in nurturing contemporary feminist ideas by disrupting established paradigms, championing women's rights and forging the path for modern feminist movements. Yet its dogmatic constraints and social impediments generated circumscribed structures that continue to impact contemporary feminism. Novels such as Jane Eyre (1847), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848), Middlemarch (1871-72) and Aurora Leigh (1856) impelled against structural subjugation accentuating women's sovereignty, education and economic independence. This research paper will delve into how Victorian feminist literature contributed to and restrained the evolving sphere of feminist inquiry, by inspecting influential authors and the persistent reverberation of Victorian societal norms.