A Comparative Analysis Of Female Identity In Margaret Drabble’S The Waterfall

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of female identity in Margaret Drabble’s The Waterfall, employing an interdisciplinary framework that integrates feminist literary theory, cognitive narratology, and discourse analysis. The study argues that female identity in the novel is not depicted as a stable or essential category but is constructed dynamically through narrative structure, linguistic strategies, and conceptual metaphors. Particular attention is given to the role of memory, emotional experience, and socio-cultural context in shaping the protagonist’s subjectivity. The findings demonstrate that Drabble portrays female identity as fragmented, fluid, and continuously negotiated, reflecting broader transformations in gender discourse during the late twentieth century. The article contributes to contemporary literary scholarship by offering a nuanced understanding of identity as a cognitive and discursive construct.