Shelby Hearon's eight novels--Armadillo in the Grass, The Second Dune, Hannah's House, Now and Another Time, A Prince of a Fellow, Painted Dresses, Afternoon of a Faun, and Group Therapy- -are unified by the theme of the fairy-tale princess and her quest to assert her autonomy and gain self-fulfillment while struggling with marriage, family, and the mother-daughter relationship. This study traces the development of Hearon' s feminist convictions in each of her novels by focusing on the changing quests of her heroines. This analysis of Hearon's novels attests to their lasting literary significance.

Shelby Hearon's four novels--Armadillo in the Grass, The Second Dune, Hannah's House, and Now and Another Time--are unified by the common elements of the vital female character and her quest for selfawareness, self-integration, and fulfillment. This study examines the four novels chronologically in order to understand the development of this character and the themes which are common to all four. The concluding chapter offers an assessment of Hearon as a novelist whose work is both universally lasting and relevant.