CRAFTING COMPLEX FEMALE CHARACTERS IN MURIEL SPARK’S WORKS

Abstract

In Muriel Spark’s works, particularly novels such as “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and “Aiding and Abetting”, female characters embody the complexities of postm odern feminist themes. Spark’s storytelling techniques, which combine critical realism with irony and metafiction, offer nuanced depictions of women navigating society’s expectations and personal ambitions. Her characters, such as Miss Jean Brody and Beat Pappenheim, challenge conventional roles through independence, intelligence, and introspection. Spark’s exploration of psychological depth and social critique is in line with broader trends in postmodern literature that depict women not as passive figures but as active agents shaping their own destinies within evolving cultural landscapes.