Introductory description

EN913 Feminist Literary Theory
This module will consider some of the most important debates and trends in feminist literary theory over the last few decades. The module will consider the intersections of academic and popular, intellectual and activist dimensions of feminist literary theory; we also place emphasis on the articulation of feminist literary practice with representations of race, sexuality and class. Questions of reading practices, genre and canon-formation, as well as those of artistic expressions in response to the collaboration and conflict engaged between 'western', 'multicultural' and 'third world' feminisms will be some of the key themes that the module will explore. We will examine the 'use' and 'abuse' of writing by black women in the formation of feminist literary theory - the way in which white feminist critics have recuperated black authored texts and have avoided the interrogation of whiteness. We will also address the question of feminist literary theory's relationship with cultural and social theory - Marxism and psychoanalysis were from the outset of the period we are engaged with crucial interlocutors of feminist thought and feminism's encounter with literature was a particularly rich site of these encounters. We will think about the historicity of feminism's engagement with literature and culture - does it make sense to bring concepts generated by feminism into dialogue with texts or practices chronologically or politically outside of the 'enlightenment' or 'modernity'? As we will see, the demarcation between 'literary' and 'theoretical' texts has always been unstable within feminism and the module sets up a dialogue between the two categories. Key ‘literary’ texts will be used as touchstones for our debates and discussions during the module.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Seminar Schedule
Week 1 : Introduction What is Feminist Literary Theory? Introduction to the module’s key themes, methodologies and plan
Week 2 : Feminist Literary Theory and its Others
Week 3 : Under Western Eyes
Week 4 : Playing in the Dark
Week 5 : Reading Queerly
Week 6 : Etel Adnan, Sitt Marie Rose
Week 7 : Bodies of Value
Week 8 : Social Reproduction Theory I
Week 9 : Social Repreoduction Theory II
Week 10 : The Work of Theory in a Neo-liberal Age

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Subject specific skills

No subject specific skills defined for this module.

Transferable skills

No transferable skills defined for this module.