Adultery Narrative and the Metaphorical Representation of Social and Political Reforms in A Lost Lady
Centering upon the heroine's sexual misbehavior as its major narrative thread,Willa Cather's A Lost Lady does not merely tell a story of infidelity,but also engages in a dialogue with the social and political realities in America at the turn of the 20th century.Rewriting the conventional moral implications of adultery narratives,Cather projects a desire for social rejuvenation into it,and conveys her dissatisfaction with an unjust status quo.Meanwhile,she also makes a symbolic representation of two reform movements in reality through the two adultery episodes unfolding in the novel.The first adultery plot mirrors the trajectory of populism at the end of the 19th century,toward which Cather indicates her negative attitude;the second illicit relationship alludes to the social dynamics during the progressive movement at the beginning of the 20th century,and reflects Cather's concern of its dark sides.Thus,the novel constitutes an important field where the author examines and responds to the social and political realities of this crucial transitional period.
Willa CatherA Lost Ladyadultery narrativepopulismprogressivism
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