A Quest for Women's Identity in Willa Cather'sA Lost Lady

Abstract

Willa Cather’sA Lost Ladyprovokes quest for women’s independent identity in the newly built American frontier society. It also portrays women’s struggle for freedom andautonomy, which is possible but not so easy. Marian Forrester, the protagonist of the novel, challenges Victorian patriarchal norms and fights throughout her life for her freedom and autonomy, and finally gets victory over it. But her struggle still slightly remains as an unfulfilled dream since she is made to leave the society and go back to her own place i.e. California.