Satire and Irony in the 1930s: Resistance to Ideological Commitment in 'Novel on Yellow Paper' Rebecca Masker College

Many critics would define Smith’s Novel on Yellow Paper as being aligned with feminist politics. Her decision to satirize the patriarchal, domestic-centred expectations of 1930s women, and the media that propagated said expectations, arguably gives the text a significantly pro-feminist bent. Though Smith didn’t identify with the specific feminism of her era, the complex characterization and the free narrative voice that she imbues her protagonist with are recognisably revolutionary for female characters of 1930s literature. One can also note Smith’s own position as a woman in the 1930s and locate the anxieties this position would engender throughout the text. Yet, Smith also has Pompey espouse several misogynistic viewpoints throughout the text as well, supposedly undermining the initial categorization of Novel on Yellow Paper as a feminist text. Pompey continually mocks and satirises the voices of her female contemporaries and perpetuates a stereotype of womankind rooted in inherent stupidity and inadequacy. Some would argue, that the harsh and violent language and imagery directed towards women throughout the narrative fundamentally undermines any feminist interpretation of the text. An argument can be made that to try and...