Representation of Women in Pat Barker's Union Street

Abstract

My thesis aims to examine the living conditions of working class women during the 20th century Britain, through Pat Barker’s first novel, Union Street. The novel represents seven working-class women. In the centre, there is their suffering from poverty, the lack of opportunity, violence and oppression. Sexuality, motherhood and marriage are the central themes of the book. Through the life of these these women, we can get a portrait of the working-class communities of 20th century Britain, who had to deal with rape, death, loneliness and poverty.