|
|
Caught in metaphorical quicksand and sinking fast, the femme fatale has been reduced to a victim of both church and patriarchy.
Therefore, The Femme Fatale in American Literature identifies power and agency in several female characters that have previously been labeled as weak. By showing these women in a new light, Sasa emphasizes that they are not primarily victims but strong women who have the potential to grow even stronger. Aware of the power of their sexuality, they use their feminine wiles to both captivate and manipulate their male victims. They also serve as forerunners of the New Woman that will populate the novels of the next generation of American writers. Unlike the “New Woman,” however, the femme fatale of naturalism is eventually destined for either disillusionment or failure because the writer’s deterministic vision seals her fate.
Professor Ronald Emerick
Department of English
Indiana University of Pennsylvania