Futility of Feminist Aspirations in Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls: A Postfeminist Reading

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Top Girls (1982) is a controversial play which calls Caryl Churchill’s stance as a feminist into question. The present paper examines the play through the theoretical perspective of postfeminism, which advocates primary feminist goals but challenges some dominant feminist discourses, especially those pertaining to the binary structures of second-wave feminism. With its bleak delineation of the character of Marlene, the play explores the dangers of seeking women empowerment by espousing masculine qualities, adopting an anti-family attitude, and paying no heed to the suffering of fellow women. Investigating the polarization of characters based on their gender, race, class, or religion, and the dilemma of choosing between career success and family stability, the paper highlights the need for an egalitarian family-friendly feminism based on a real sense of sisterhood among women.

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