SociologicalFeminist Reading on the Theme of Self-Awareness in Marsha Norman's 'Night, Mother'

Abstract

In the 1980s, female dramatists, including Marsha Norman who is one of the most influential authors who speak up about women's experiences in America, adopted Self-Awareness as a form of individual and psychological cure. This paper discusses Norman's 'Night, Mother' (1981) in the light of psychoanalysis and feminism theories, showing the characters' search for self-awareness through their journey. By focusing on Marsha's play, this study aims to uncover the neglected experiences of American women. Psychoanalytical theories are crystallized in the characters' lives in "Night, Mother," especially Jessie, whose disorders, behaviours, reactions to the "others," frustration, suicide, and death indicate that many familial, social, and mental issues have affected her psyche. As a result, Jessie wants to prove herself as a free woman who can choose whatever she likes to avoid any restrictions. Thus, she decides to commit suicide as a way to revolt against society and a way to find her self-awareness.