Abstract:

The years beginning with 1960 witnessed several alterations in the thoughts of the women identified as ‘second-wave’ feminists with regard to both social and political perspectives, which was led by the influence of women’s movements. The women of that period directed their attention more to such matters like discrimination, gender, inequality, and violence whereas they were still interested in domestic issues. Women’s new interests were fundamental sources of the works of such prominent feminist playwrights like Sarah Daniels displaying tendencies towards second-wave feminism. In this study, one of the debatable plays of her, The Devil’s Gateway (1983) is analysed in terms of the gradual transformation of the female characters through self-awareness, regarding their positions in both domestic and public domain as well. In the light of the background of Daniels’ period, with hermeneutic analysis and feminist criticism, the study also aims to observe triggering factors for the women’s awakening in detail from the very beginning to the end of the play. The evaluations of the study are revealed in the conclusion part.