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Author Information

Kathryn Johnston

Abstract/Description

Daphne du Maurier and Sylvia Plath both use voice as a tool in their respective pieces, “La Sainte-Vierge” and “Lesbos.” Through the implementation of varied voices, these women convey female interiors. Du Maurier’s use of a third-person narrative voice in her short story “La Sainte-Vierge” allows her to comment on the lives of the main characters through the eyes of an outsider. Du Maurier’s outsider reveals a naïve and delusional housewife, unhealthy in her denial within a failing relationship. Contrasting with du Maurier’s Marie is Plath’s first-person voice of a scorned, dissatisfied housewife in her poem, “Lesbos.” Plath’s use of the first-person voice is central to this poem’s effectiveness, allowing for an emotional reading of the thoughts of a bitter woman. Although the reaction of the wronged woman differs, both pieces powerfully employ voice to illustrate the effects of a failing relationship.

Note on the Author

Kathryn Johnston is a senior English major with a minor in Secondary Education. This essay was originally developed for the course Women Writers Since 1900 in the spring semester of 2011, under the mentorship of Meredith Dutton.

Rights Statement

Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.

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