Valancy Stirling’s Pursuit of Freedom: A Liberal Feminist Reading of The Blue Castle (1926)

Abstract

This study examines Valancy Stirling’s pursuit of freedom in L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle (1926) through the lens of John Stuart Mill’s liberal feminist theory. The study aims to analyze how Valancy’s transformation reflects the principles of individual liberty, equality of opportunity, and social utility, and to determine the extent to which her liberation embodies Mill’s vision of women’s emancipation. Employing a qualitative approach and feminist literary criticism, the study uses close reading and textual analysis to examine dialogues, narrative descriptions, monologues, and character interactions in the novel. The findings demonstrate that Valancy’s journey from social and familial confinement to self-determination closely reflects Mill’s liberal feminist principles. First, individual liberty is manifested through Valancy’s rejection of fear, social conformity, and patriarchal control, enabling her to make independent decisions about her life. Second, equality of opportunity emerges through her meaningful work in the Gay household, where her abilities are recognized and her labor benefits others. Third, social utility is demonstrated through the positive effects of her liberation on Cissy Gay, Roaring Abel, Barney Snaith, and herself. Her voluntary marriage proposal to Barney further illustrates Mill’s ideal of marriage as an equal partnership based on mutual respect, autonomy, and shared benefit. The study concludes that The Blue Castle presents female liberation not merely as personal escape but as an active process of self-determination that generates individual happiness, meaningful contribution, and social benefit. Valancy’s transformation therefore provides a literary articulation of Mill’s liberal feminist vision.