The Politics of the Essay

Feminist Perspectives

Author: Ruth-Ellen B. Joeres
ISBN: 9780253207883

Ã’The project of a feminist (and political) re-reading of the essay genre is so needed that . . . I wondered why this had not been thought of before.Ã“ Ã‘Leslie W. Rabine As a genre that has been defined and theorized extensively, the essay raises particularly interesting questions for feminists. While it has often been described in Ã’feminineÃ“ termsÃ‘e.g., open-ended, nonlinear, personalÃ‘it simultaneously carries the weight of an elite male tradition, beginning with its first practitioner, Michel de Montaigne. The Politics of the Essay: Feminist Perspectives examines the intersection of gender and genre that presents itself when women write essays. Employing gender, race, class, and national identity as axes of analysis, this volume introduces new perspectives into what has been a largely apolitical discussion of the essay. Representing various national literatures, the contributors investigate women essayists over the past two centuries. Also included is an original essay by Susan

Publisher: Indiana University Press
Publish Date: 1993

Subjects: Literary Criticism / Feminist, Literary Criticism / Women Authors

This book is available in the following Community Centers: Women's Center (Location: Essays)