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English 775.1x
Feminist Literary Theory

Feminist literary theory and criticism arose at a fascinating time in the development of literary theory and contemporary literature and have contributed significantly to both theory and literature. What questions are involved here? How have they been developed differently, depending on the situation of the writers? For example, post-colonial, queer, continental theories have different contributions to make; women of color have been crucial in exploring many of these concerns. What angles theorized by non-feminists have been useful for feminist literary theory? Vice-versa? We look at key issues in contemporary theory in the light of these questions, tracing the work of others and tracking our own writing during the semester. Students who have taken 775 and wish to participate for credit in independent studies or thesis work are welcome to do so with the permission of the instructor.

(WB) - refers to a text ordered for the class:
Writing on the Body: Female Embodiment and Feminist Theory.
Conboy et al, eds. Columbia. 97.
I. As it is
  • Mirikitani, Janice. "Prisons of Silence." (poem: handout)
  • Broumas, Olga. "Cinderella." (poem: handout)
  • Irigaray, Luce. "This Sex Which Is Not One." (WB);
  • "The Power of Discourse and the

    Subordination of the Feminine."
  • Cixcous on Ecriture Feminine
  • Gilbert and Gubar. From The Madwoman in the Attic.
    • II. Social Construction of Race
  • Morrison, Toni. "Playing in the Dark."
  • Truth, Soujourner. "Ain't I a Woman?" (WB)
  • Carby, Hazel. " and Black Feminism."
  • Williams. Patricia. "On Being the Object of Property."
  • Spillers, Hortense. "Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe:
    an American Grammar Book."
  • Anzaldua, Gloria. From Borderlands/LaFrontera.
  • Walker, Alice. "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens."
    • III. Lesbianism and Social Construction of Gender
  • Chodorow, Nancy. "Heterosexuality as a Compromise
    Formation."
  • Bartky, Sandra L. "Foucault, Femininity, and The
    Modernization of Patriarchal Power." (WB)
  • Rich, Adrienne. "Compulsory Heterosexuality and
    Lesbian Existence."
  • Wittig, Monique. "One Is Not Born A Woman."(WB)
  • Farley, Tucker Pamella. "De-Constructing the
    Absolute: Reality and Difference."
  • Stone, Sandy. "The Empire Strikes Back: A
    Post-Transsexual Manifesto." (WB)
    • IV. Class/system
  • Bakhin. From Discourse and the Novel.
  • Foucault, Michel. From Discipline and
    Punish; The History of Sexuality.
    • V. Int'l/Post-Colonial
  • Said, Edward. "Orientalisms."
  • Spivak, Gayatri. From The Post-Colonial
    Critic: Interviews, Strategies, Dialogues.
  • Anzaldua, Gloria. From Borderlands/LaFrontera.
  • Lim, Shirley Geok-lin. "Aisians in
    Anglo-American Feminism: Reciprocity
    and Resistance."
    • VI. Another take on Social
    Construction
  • Butler, Judith. "Performative Acts
    and Gender Constitution." (WB)
    • VII. Popular Culture
  • Bordo, Susan. "Material Girl."
  • Radway, Janice. "Reading the Romance."
  • Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and
    Narrative Cinema."
    • VIII. Empowerment
  • Lorde, Audre. "Uses of the Erotic: The
    Erotic as Power." (WB); "Poetry Is
    Not a Luxury."
  • Anzaldua, Gloria. "The Consciousness of
    the New Mestiza."
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