Abstract：Margaret Drabble is a famous female writer in contemporary British literature field and The Millstone is her third novel and the representative work of her early works. This thesis uses feminist theory to analyze Rosamund’s love progress from three aspects—love of selfhood, straight love and maternal love. She changes from a woman doctor, who is ignorant of worldly affairs, to become a mature mother, and analyzing and reflecting on her feminist consciousness and its change.

This paper is divided into four parts: the first chapter is mainly the introduction to the author and works; the second chapter mainly discusses the feminist theory and the introduction to the author’s feminist consciousness; the third chapter mainly studies the heroine’s love progress; the fourth chapter is the summary and generalization of the article.

Keywords: feminism  process  love

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Margaret Drabble and The Millstone-1

1.2 Previous studies about The Millstone-2

Chapter Two Feminism and Drabble's Feminist Consciousness-4

2.1 Definitions of Feminism-4

2.2 Drabble’s Feminist Consciousness-4

Chapter Three Progress of Rosamund's Love-6

3.1 Love of selfhood-6

3.2 Straight love-7

3.3 Maternal love-9

3.3.1 Maternal love in her pregnancy-9

3.3.2 Maternal love in the primacy of motherhood-9

Chapter Four Conclusion-12

References-13