Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Spring 2026
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English Literature
Committee Chair
Michael Johnson
Second Committee Member
Roxanne Easley
Third Committee Member
Sarah Sillin
Abstract
This thesis examines several Old English texts to understand how power is portrayed in literature relating to women and their positions as wives, mothers, and daughters. Looking at women characters in Beowulf, Elene, “The Wife’s Lament,” Juliana, and Judith through a New Historicist lens, this thesis attempts to better understand the cultural and social expectations for women in power in Anglo-Saxon England, c. 1000. These women are portrayed as socially intelligent and politically active figures in their communities. The most exemplary women in these texts, this thesis argues, are those who are able to draw upon the different aspects of power their various positionalities give them.
Recommended Citation
Carter, Emily L., "The Kinship Power of Women in Old English Literature" (2026). All Master's Theses. 2304.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/2304