Post-feminist Backlash in Chick Lit Novels:

Abstract

Chick lit emerged as a literary genre three decades ago. Chick lit swept the literary world by storm overnight and transformed the world of contemporary women’s fiction. Chick lit’s light tone makes it easy to overlook the idea that chick lit novels still reinforce patriarchal views about women. Therefore, this work sets to prove the presence post-feminist backlash in chick lit novels through the analysis of two chick lit novels. In Lauren Weisberger’s two chick lit novels The Devil Wears Prada (2003) and The Singles Game (2016), post-feminist backlash against women is an underlying presence. In both novels patriarchal views about women and professional work are reestablished. Through the depiction of miserable stressed career women, the novels implies that women are not fit for professional career and a happy, fulfilled women to leads a more domestic lifestyle. Moreover, The Singles Game showcases the renewed focus on female body in the women’s sports and exposes underlying sexism that still prevails in western society. Furthermore, The Devil Wears Prada showcases the dangers of women in power.