Intersection of Power and Gender in O’Farrell’s The Marriage Portrait

Abstract

This paper examines the intersection of power and gender in Maggie O’Farrell’s (2022) novel The Marriage Portrait, with a focus on how these two forces shape the individual’s experiences in a patriarchal and politically charged society. By applying Kimberlé Crenshaw’s (1989, 1991) intersectional theory, the research explores how gender, class, and power dynamics converge to limit or to define, and shape the female agency. Despite having a noble birth, and the privileges, the status of the protagonist as a woman relegates her to a subjugated position, where political alliances and societal expectations direct the course of her life. Through the intersectional lens, the study analyzes how identity is not merely shaped by gender, but is profoundly impacted by class, familial obligations, and the political structures of the time. By examining the ways in which protagonist’s struggle for autonomy is constrained by intersecting power and gender. Therefore, this research aims to interpret the complex relationship between identity, agency, and power for the construction of identity. Further, the study argues that O’Farrell’s portrayal of female protagonist challenges the conventional historical fiction and its standards by offering a nuanced perspective on women’s roles in the Renaissance society, ultimately shedding light on the ongoing relevance of gendered po