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The Weight of Ink: Female Protagonists in the Face of Oppression
Freiová, Kristina ; Topolovská, Tereza (advisor) ; Higgins, Bernadette (referee)
This thesis explores the connection between the two protagonists of a historical novel The Weight of Ink (2017) by a contemporary American author, Rachel Kadish. The main aim is to describe and interpret the nature of this link. Since the two protagonists are separated by more than three hundred years of historical development, their destinies seem dissimilar at first glance. However, deeper investigation reveals the commonality of various forms of social repression, which affect all aspects of both their lives. It is for this reason that the Practical Part compares the individual cases of their confinement, employing the concept of a psychologist Iris Marion Young named Five Faces of Oppression, which describes the possible manifestations of restraint in society. The thesis also ponders how and to what extent the two protagonists are influenced by social context and specifically religion, in this case Judaism, which is bound to their destinies. Last but not least, the thesis, as well as the novel itself, stresses how the protagonists cope with their situation through the means of self- realization, which, despite being directly rejected or substantially curtailed by society, serves as a means of personal growth, autonomy and eventually freedom. KEYWORDS The Weight of Ink, Rachel Kadish,...
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