2,806 research outputs found
The female body in question: a study of Monique Wittig's writings with particular reference to L'Opoponax
No full textPhDThis thesis is a comprehensive study of Monique Wittig's fiction, in
which I explore the links between womanhood, sisterhood and writing.
Particular attention is paid to L'Opoponax (1964), in which I argue that
Wittig suggests a way out of the impasse of Freudian theories of
femininity. This is achieved at all levels: stylistic, formal and
thematic. I begin by defining my psychoanalytic and literary contexts
(Freud, Klein and Irigaray for the former, contemporary French, English
and American women's writing for the latter), in order to introduce the
major debates connected with the concept of the female body and its
representation in Western culture. I then show how the Freudian drama
of sexual difference - namely, castration anxiety as it affects the
little girl - is both powerfully evoked and systematically sidestepped
in L'Opoponax, with its focus on relationships between women. Using
Klein and Irigaray, I describe the problems arising within the
mother/daughter dyad. I suggest that L'Opoponax hints at a healed
relationship but also leaves much unsorted; this is seen to pull against
the radical innovations of later texts, particularly Le Corps lesbien,
accounting for some of the violence to be found there. The question of
the mother versus the woman is thus not fully closed, but creates a
space within which the amantes, female lovers, can begin to live and
move. I end by replacing this question within its wider context as it
is a crucial one for the future development of feminist writing
Appel à la Discussion sur les "Remarques" de Monique Wittig sur le site de Namascar Shaktini, shaktini.site/blog, pour le 1 mai 2023
No full textCan We Re-Member The Lesbian Body (Le Corps Lesbien) ? Appel à la Discussion sur les "Remarques" de Monique Wittig sur le shaktini.site/blog pour le 1 mai 2023 ! Le 1 mai toutes les idées de la communauté seront organisées et partagées sur shaktini.site/blog pour le grand public. CALL FOR DISCUSSION : What is the Underlying Vulvic Structure of The Lesbian Body ? Please contribute your discussion before May 1, 2023 Can you help us find Monique Wittig's underlying structure in The Lesbian Body ..
L'Œuvre sans fin. Réception des romans de Monique Saint-Hélier par la critique française (1932-1955)
No full textMonique Saint-Hélier became quite successful during the 1930s in particular because of the violent controversy that surrounded her second novel, Bois-Mort. How is it that Saint-Hélier’s work provoked such passionate criticism, but encountered nothing but disinterest after the war? Studying unpublished sources as well as a vast corpus of book reviews, the author explores by this quite particular literary path, as well as the variations in how a work is received over time.Monique Saint-Hélier (1895-1955) connaît le succès dans les années trente en France, grâce notamment à la violente polémique que suscite son deuxième roman, Bois-Mort (1934). Pourtant, dès les années cinquante, la romancière disparaît durablement de l’histoire littéraire française. Pourquoi les romans de Monique Saint-Hélier déchaînent-ils les passions critiques, puis ne rencontrent-ils plus que le désintérêt après la Seconde Guerre mondiale? Comment expliquer le silence éditorial de près de vingt ans qui sépare la publication des ouvrages des années trente de ceux des années cinquante, alors même que ces romans appartiennent à un même ensemble narratif? Fondée sur des sources inédites et un vaste corpus de comptes rendus, l’étude de la réception critique de l’œuvre de Monique Saint-Hélier en France apporte des réponses aux nombreuses questions soulevées par cette trajectoire particulière. Malgré toute sa singularité, ce parcours permet également une réflexion plus générale sur les variations de la réception d'une œuvre à des époques différentes
Monique Mongeau : Épine peine
No full textIn her study of Mongeau’s pictorial exploration of endangered plant species, Parent focuses on the panel entitled “Acacia,” the ascetic aspect of which marks a turning point in the series. The author discusses the symbolism of the thorn motif and the metaphysical dimension of the artist’s work. Texts in English and French. List of works, 31 bibl. ref
Beyond categories: Monique Wittig and the lesbian identity as liberation from the heteropatriarchal regime
No full textopenLa tesi esplora il femminismo radicale materialista emerso in Francia negli anni '70, con particolare attenzione alla figura di Monique Wittig e le compagne del movimento. Si analizza il ruolo del lesbismo come complessa e ricca identità politica, l’utopia di un Fronte Lesbico Internazionale e la critica al sistema eterosessuale e patriarcale, da Wittig definito “regime”, delineando l'importanza della sua eredità letteraria e politica nella decostruzione delle norme di genere. Attraverso uno studio approfondito del femminismo materialista lesbico, si esamina come Wittig abbia contribuito alla riflessione sul genere come costrutto sociale, sfidando le concezioni tradizionali basate sulla biologia. Si discute anche l'impatto che il movimento ha avuto in Italia, evidenziando le sfide affrontate dalle femministe lesbiche nel contesto italiano.
Con l’obiettivo di andare oltre la limitata e superficiale conoscenza mainstream del corpus letterario di Wittig, lo studio ripercorre la sua militanza e teoria attraverso i suoi testi e il linguaggio da lei utilizzato, estremamente importante per comprenderne la complessità e l’importanza.
Seguendo lo sviluppo storico e teorico all’interno del movimento femminista francese, si evidenza la grave invisibilizzazione del corpo lesbico e del suo spazio politico.
La tesi sottolinea l'importanza di recuperare e valorizzare il lavoro di Wittig e del lesbismo radicale materialista, riscoprendo questo “fantasma” tra le righe e amplificando la sua voce, indispensabile per la riflessione sociale, contemporanea e futura, sul genere e sull'identità queer.The thesis explores radical materialist feminism in France in the 1970s, with particular focus on Monique Wittig and other participants of the movement. It analyzes the role of lesbianism as a complex and rich political identity, the utopia of an International Lesbian Front, and the critique of the heterosexual and patriarchal system, which Wittig defined as a "regime", outlining the importance of her literary and political legacy in deconstructing gender norms. Through an in-depth study of materialist lesbian feminism, it examines how Wittig contributed to the reflection on gender as a social construct, challenging traditional conceptions based on biology. The thesis also discusses the impact the movement had in Italy, highlighting the challenges faced by lesbian feminists in the Italian context.
With the aim of moving beyond the limited and superficial mainstream understanding of Wittig's literary corpus, the study retraces her activism and theory through her texts and language, which are crucial for understanding its complexity and significance. Following the historical and theoretical development within the French feminist movement, it underscores the serious invisibilization of the lesbian body and its political space.
The thesis emphasizes the importance of reclaiming and valorizing Wittig's work and radical materialist lesbianism, rediscovering this "ghost" between the lines and amplifying its voice, essential for contemporary and future social reflection on gender and queer identity
"m/y flesh in your teeth" : an analysis of the brutal imagery in The Lesbian Body by Monique Wittig
No full textThis essay aims to examine the violent och grotesque imagery in the novel The Lesbian Body by Monique Wittig, and especially how this relates to lesbian identity. It asks the question of what kind of expressions of the violent and grotesque the author uses and what they encompass, which leads to follow-up questions concerning the body, lesbian identity and how it can be expressed textually. Ultimately, the essay poses the question of why Wittig uses this specific technique and how it is part of a larger political and theoretical idea. This is achieved by way of theories concerning the grotesque as a genre and its effects, heterology as defined by Georges Bataille, the body’s potential as a metaphorical site and how texts can be placed in a lesbian textuality. The essay argues that Monique Wittig uses the violent and grotesque imagery, and its naturally excessive expression, to gain the attention of and spark reflection in her readers. By placing the normative body so close to the radical notion of lesbianism it disrupts the former and promotes the latter. The body is also placed close to language as a conception and works synonymously together. This creates a unique text with a very complex, distinctive and subversive imagery who aims to promote social, political and cultural change
"m/y flesh in your teeth" : an analysis of the brutal imagery in The Lesbian Body by Monique Wittig
No full textThis essay aims to examine the violent och grotesque imagery in the novel The Lesbian Body by Monique Wittig, and especially how this relates to lesbian identity. It asks the question of what kind of expressions of the violent and grotesque the author uses and what they encompass, which leads to follow-up questions concerning the body, lesbian identity and how it can be expressed textually. Ultimately, the essay poses the question of why Wittig uses this specific technique and how it is part of a larger political and theoretical idea. This is achieved by way of theories concerning the grotesque as a genre and its effects, heterology as defined by Georges Bataille, the body’s potential as a metaphorical site and how texts can be placed in a lesbian textuality. The essay argues that Monique Wittig uses the violent and grotesque imagery, and its naturally excessive expression, to gain the attention of and spark reflection in her readers. By placing the normative body so close to the radical notion of lesbianism it disrupts the former and promotes the latter. The body is also placed close to language as a conception and works synonymously together. This creates a unique text with a very complex, distinctive and subversive imagery who aims to promote social, political and cultural change
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Writing in subversive space: Language and the body in feminist science fiction in French and English
No full textThis dissertation examines the themes of subversive language and representations of the body in an eclectic selection of feminist science fiction texts in French and English from a French materialist feminist point of view. The goal of this project is to bring together the theories of French materialist feminism and the theories and fictions of feminist science fiction. Chapter One of this dissertation seeks to clarify the main concepts that form the ideological core of French materialist feminism. Theoretical writings by Monique Wittig, Christine Delphy, Colette Guillaumin, Nicole-Claude Mathieu provide the methodological base for an analysis of the oppression of women. Works by American author Suzy McKee Charnas and Quebecois author Elisabeth Vonarburg provide fictional representations of what Wittig calls "the category of sex". Imagery that destabilizes our notions about sex is studied in Angela Carter's The Passion of New Eve. French materialist feminism maintains that the oppression of women consists of an economical exploitation and a physical appropriation. The second chapter of this dissertation looks at images of women working and images of (re)production in science fiction by Quebecois authors Esher Rochon, Louky Bersianik, Elisabeth Vonarburg, and American authors Ursula Le Guin, Joanna Russ, Marge Piercy, James Tiptree, Jr., Suzy McKee Charnas and Octavia Butler. The third chapter examines the theme of justified anger, as expressed in feminist science fiction, when women become aware of their own oppression. In addition to authors already mentioned above, I take examples from works in English by Kit Reed & Suzette Haden Elgin, and in French, by Marie Darrieussecq, Joelle Wintrebert and Jacqueline Harpman. Chapter Four seeks to show the importance of the act of writing and producing a text as a recurring theme in feminist science fiction. Highlighted examples from works by many authors including Elisabeth Vonarburg and Suzette Haden Elgin are representational of what Wittig calls "the mark of gender", the use of pronouns, marked speech and linguistic experimentation and invention
The Application of Bibliotheraphy on Adolesenc Girls with Body Image Dissatisfaction
No full textBody image dissatisfaction, caused by a discrepancy between cultural-based ideal body and individual actual body, is experienced by most of adolesencet girls. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of bibliotherapy on adolescence girls with body image dissatisfaction. Subjects were 15 senior high school girls, aged 14-17 years, with BMI (Body Mass Index) thin to normal, with average to high body image dissatisfaction. By using pretest-posttest control group design, the subjects were assigned into three groups i.e. interactive and reading bibliotherapy as experimental groups and the waiting-list control group. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) is employed to measure the differences of body dissatisfaction among the three groups. The result showed that there were no significant differences of body dissatisfaction in the pretest – posttest and posttest – follow-up, between the three groups. It means that neither interactive nor reading bibliotherapy was effective in reducing the adolescence girls’ body image dissatisfactio
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