Female Writers

Paper Summary:

This paper attempts to critically examine Joanna Russ' following quote: "Our literature is not about women. It is not about women and men equally. It is by and about men". The paper discusses how feminist literary theory can address this state of affairs and what feminist writing and reading as political act would entail.

From the Paper:

"Russ' claim encompasses that all literature is a direct product of male-centred critical approaches, determined according to male values only. A brief look at the literary canon is enough evidence that 'accepted' or 'civilised high standard' literature is literature written by male, Western and usually dead writers. In English Literature on the Internet Jan Gorak draws a "graphocentric, nationalist, phallophilic and gynophobic picture (...) of the literary canon." He cites that the canon is constructed and outlined by men and largely consists of works by male writers. The fact that females are hardly mentioned in the Western canon should be plenty of evidence that literature is in the grip of patriarchy, and it certainly does not mean that there is lack of feminine writing talent. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Benhabib, J. Butler, D. Cornell & N. Fraser (eds.), Feminist contentions: a philosophical exchange. New York: Routledge.
• Butler, J. (1997), Subjects of sex/gender/desire, pp. 278-285 in: S. Kemp & J. Squires (eds.), Feminisms. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Butler, J. (1990) Gender trouble: feminism and the subversion of 'identity'. London: Routledge.
• Cixous H. The Laugh of Medusa . 1975. Feminisms an anthology of literary theory and criticism. Robyn R. Warhol and Diane Price Herndl. 351.
• Lanser, S. Toward a Feminist Narratology. 1986. Feminisms an anthology of literary theory and criticism. Robyn R. Warhol and Diane Price Herndl. 674 - 692.

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