Chick Lit: Tales from a Third-Wave Feminist Perspective

Abstract

Written by women, for women, chick lit has become one of the most popular and best-selling fiction genres in the world of literature. Its quirky and fallible characters are frequently easy to identify with. Additionally, the literature's humorous tone and seemingly commonplace situations (finding a job, chasing one's dreams, searching for love, etc.) often create plots and characters that mirror one's own, even though at times mundane, life. The genre, while entertaining, is heavily influenced by a very academic ideology—third-wave feminism. In this project, third-wave feminism and chick lit are defined, and Meg Cabot's chick lit trilogy, Queen of Babble, is used to represent how third-wave ideology impacts chick lit. This thesis argues that modern chick lit texts, such as the Queen of Babble series, are influenced by third-wave feminism as evidenced by chick lit embracing girl power, traditional femininity, and individuality.