Elizabeth Kowaleski-Wallace - Böcker

What does it mean for a woman writer to identify strongly with her father and with the patriarchal tradition he represents? What factors motivate such identification, and what are its consequences? This book answers such questions through a close examination of the lives and selected works of two late eighteenth-century women writers, Hannah More and Maria Edgeworth, who were complicitous with their fathers' politics. While feminist theory has developed a powerful body of explanations for some women's rebellion against patriarchy, it has not yet adequately accounted for the many women - like More and Edgeworth - who gladly wrote the conservative political writings which actively proselytized against social democracy. This book exposes the complex psychological dynamics behind their choices, uncovers `daughterly complicity', and discusses the motivations behind such behaviour.

Consuming Subjects is an insightful exploration of the origin of the modern idea of women as shoppers. Kowaleski-Wallace considers the origins of current ideas about women and consumerism to call into question the "natural" link between women and the commodities they buy. While previous scholars have posited the nineteenth-century department store and arcade as the crucial place for understanding the emergence of the female consumer, Kowaleski-Wallace argues that the eighteenth century yields a keener understanding by allowing us to view the foundations of contemporary cultural practices. Drawing on feminist criticism, cultural studies, and new historical ideas, she surveys eighteenth-century literary texts, material objects -such as china- and cultural events to illuminate the ways in which women are both controlled and empowered through images of consumption. Kowaleski-Wallace links the rise of shopping to the appearance of modern pronography: like pornography, shopping embodies a cultural fantasy, claiming to locate and control female "pleasure."This elegant study is an important contribution to eighteenth-century studies and will appeal to a broader audience of readers interested in feminist and cultural issues.

"Schools with strong women's studies programs will find this an invaluable source for understanding the foundations of feminist literary theory." -- HE Bookwatch"The range of topics covered in this single volume is impressive. Overall, the Encyclopedia would make a good addition to any reference collection." -- Feminist Collections The Encyclopedia of Feminist Literary Theory is an essential resource for scholars and students of feminist literary studies. Now available in paperback, the book offers a new, extended introduction outlining recent developments in the field such as ecofeminism, globalism and diaspora, defining emerging terms such as "cisgendered" and documenting the evolution of queer theory. This volume provides overview entries on key people, issues, theories, terms, concerns, and methodologies in feminist literary theory. In addition, the book presents entries detailing the significance of literary periods and fields such as Medieval Studies, Shakespeare, and Romanticism for feminist theory, suggesting how feminisms affect the development of new ideas and intellectual practices. Incorporating short bibliographies within each entry and providing a comprehensive index, this volume offers both a critical resource and a springboard for further research.

From the cutting edge to the basics The latest advances as well as the essentials of feminist literary theory are at your fingertips as soon as you open this brand-new reference work. It features-in quick and convenient form-precise definitions of important terms and concise summaries of the salient ideas of critics working in the field who have made significant contributions to feminist literary studies, and points out how a feminist perspective has affected the development of emerging ideas and intellectual practices. Every effort has been made to include as many feminist thinkers as possible. Expanded coverage of key subjects Overview entries cover topics ranging from creativity, beauty, and eroticism topornography, violence, and war, with a thorough exploration of the major theoretical points of feminist literary approaches and concerns. In addition, entries organized around literary periods and fields, such as medieval studies, Shakespeare and Romanticism survey subjects in the framework of feminist literary theory and feminist concerns. Shows how feminist ideas have shaped literary theory The Encyclopedia gathers in one place all the key words, topics, proper names, and critical terminology of feminist literary theory. Emphasis throughout is on usage in the United States and Great Britain since the l970s. Each entry is accompanied by a bibliography that is a point of departure for further research. A key advantage of this Encyclopedia is that it amasses bibliographic references for so many important and often-cited works within a single volume. Instructors especially will find this information invaluable in the preparation of course material. Special FeaturesOffers precise contemporary definitions of all important critical terms * Summarizes the salient ideas of key literary critics * Overviews cover major theoretical issues * Entries on periods and fields survey feminist contributions * Emphasizes terminology that has evolved since the l970s * Indexes proper names, subjects, key words, and related topics