“The Female Voice in a Man’s World”: A Feminist Critique of Salinger’s “Franny” (1955)

“The Female Voice in a Man’s World”: A Feminist Critique of Salinger’s “Franny” (1955)

This paper will look at J.D. Salinger’s “Franny” (1955) and the ways Franny’s voice is overlooked, and silenced within a patriarchal society. Through close reading and analysis of the short story, this paper shows how Franny’s struggles, emotionally, and spiritually, are dismissed by the men that surround her, specifically her boyfriend Lane. This paper connects Franny’s experiences and thoughts to the way women were expected to act in the 1950’s. The 1950’s were a time where women's voices and thoughts were often overlooked and disregarded due to a patriarchal society. Franny’s emotional and spiritual struggles display the challenges many women face to speak their minds and be taken seriously in a world that does not value the voice of a woman.