The Impact of Gender Role in Selected" Absurd" Plays

This study aims at investigating the impact of gender role in four absurd plays: The Tree Climber and The Fate of a Cockroach by Tewfik Al-hakim, and Happy Days and Endgame by Samuel Beckett respectively. This thesis is divided into an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion. The thesis adopts a feminist approach. The first chapter reviews the three important waves of feminism. This chapter also discusses what is meant by gender role, gender identity as well as the relationship between the gender role and gender identity. This theoretical study is applied to the selected plays as it is clarified in chapters two and three. Chapter two is an analytical one. It discusses the main themes in the chosen plays. It casts an eye on the relationship between the themes of the plays and the role of the heroines. It shows how the main themes of the plays are expressed by the heroines. Chapter three is a technical one. It discusses the absurd techniques that are well used in the selected plays. This chapter links the absurd techniques to the female characters in the four plays. It shows how those female characters enhance the absurd techniques. The Conclusion unveils the results.