• Dr. Anchal Jain

Along with the ideology of feminism came societal fears to the patriarchal hierarchy and along with it came the misconception that feminism relates to the ideology that consider females are superior to men. Many aristocrats at that time beloved feminism to be the lobbying against men in power. The concept of the new modern women challenged the ideal and ornamental image of a Victorian lady. People feared the loss of traditional values of womanhood with the rise of feminism. The image of a modern woman, equal in rights to men; who is strong in her opinion and is not scared to affirm her beliefs and who can express herself, came into being. The concept of a new type of woman who is fearless was challenging the orthodox authorities. It was an era that redefined womanhood and lady-like. But the question that the new type of woman will be accepted in our male dominated society that longs for a traditional lady still prevails. Shall a woman leave the traditional norms completely to adapt to modernism ? Or is it justified to be curbed by the traditional norms ? What do we define as ideal? And is there a possible combination of modernity and traditional values? I’ve tried to answer some of these questions with reference to Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady in the present paper.

Ornamental womanhood, Ideal-lady, societal-norms, Feminism, Liberty

"Redefining Womanhood: The Rise of Feminism in Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 6, page no.1219-1222, June 2020, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2006511.pdf

"Redefining Womanhood: The Rise of Feminism in Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 6, page no. pp1219-1222, June 2020, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2006511.pdf