Dressing for dinner : Renée's literary explorations of the changing roles available to strong women in New Zealand society : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English at Massey University

Abstract

Renée has defined herself as a "lesbian feminist with socialist working class ideals." Throughout her oeuvre she has explored the changing roles open to strong women who assume a leadership position in New Zealand society. Among these possibilities is the development of strong bonding between women which can lead to the formation of non-traditional family units. Accordingly, the study of her accessible plays and prose, organised in chronological order of the times in which the fictional events were set, may follow that exploration in terms of a series of key motifs.