The Medusa Gaze In Contemporary Women S Fiction

Author : Gillian M. E. Alban
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 299 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-21
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781527502741

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The Medusa Gaze in Contemporary Women’s Fiction by Gillian M. E. Alban Pdf

The Medusa Gaze offers striking insights into the desires and frustrations of women through the narratives of the impressive contemporary novelists Angela Carter, Toni Morrison, Sylvia Plath, Margaret Atwood, A.S. Byatt, Iris Murdoch, Jeanette Winterson, Jean Rhys and Michèle Roberts. It illuminates women’s power and vulnerability as they construct their own egos in opposition to their hostile alter egos or others facing them in their mirrors, and fixes a panoptic gaze on the women stalking its pages, as they learn how to deflect the menacing gaze of others by returning their look defiantly back at them. Some stare back and win assurance; others are stared down, reduced to psychic trauma, madness and even suicide. The book shows how Freud’s, Sartre’s and Lacan’s androcentric views define the Medusa m/other as monstrous, and how the efforts of mothers to nurture may be slighted as inadequate or devouring. It presents Medusa and other goddess figures as inspirational, repelling harm through the ‘evil eye’ of their powerful gaze. Conversely, it also shows women who are condemned as monstrous Gorgons, trapped in enmity, rivalry and rage. Representing English, American and African American, Canadian and Caribbean writing, the works explored here include realistic, social narrative and magical realist writings, in addition to tales of the past and dystopian narratives.

Author : Gillian M. E. Alban
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 281 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 1443891487

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The Medusa Gaze in Contemporary Women's Fiction by Gillian M. E. Alban Pdf

The Medusa Gaze offers striking insights into the desires and frustrations of women through the narratives of the impressive contemporary novelists Angela Carter, Toni Morrison, Sylvia Plath, Margaret Atwood, A.S. Byatt, Iris Murdoch, Jeanette Winterson, Jean Rhys and Mich?¿le Roberts. It illuminates women?ÇÖs power and vulnerability as they construct their own egos in opposition to their hostile alter egos or others facing them in their mirrors, and fixes a panoptic gaze on the women stalking its pages, as they learn how to deflect the menacing gaze of others by returning their look defiantly back at them. Some stare back and win assurance; others are stared down, reduced to psychic trauma, madness and even suicide. The book shows how Freud?ÇÖs, Sartre?ÇÖs and Lacan?ÇÖs androcentric views define the Medusa m/other as monstrous, and how the efforts of mothers to nurture may be slighted as inadequate or devouring. It presents Medusa and other goddess figures as inspirational, repelling harm through the ?Çÿevil eye?ÇÖ of their powerful gaze. Conversely, it also shows women who are condemned as monstrous Gorgons, trapped in enmity, rivalry and rage. Representing English, American and African American, Canadian and Caribbean writing, the works explored here include realistic, social narrative and magical realist writings, in addition to tales of the past and dystopian narratives.

Author : Alexandra Cheira
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2023-01-19
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781527590748

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Wonder Tales in the Fiction of A. S. Byatt by Alexandra Cheira Pdf

This volume provides sustained critical attention on Byatt’s wonder tales, both the stand-alone tales and those which are embedded in the wider frame of a novel or novella. In this light, it examines Byatt’s claim that her wonder tales “are modern literary stories and they do play quite consciously with a postmodern creation and recreation of old forms” through a revisitation of the wonder tale in a productive dialogue with tradition as an expanded recognition of this fertile creative-critical dialogue with regards to the significance of the wonder tale in Byatt’s fictional work. The book evinces a fresh variety of conceptions and approaches to Byatt’s wonder tales, some spanning several tales and others focussing on a specific wonder tale, all thoroughly observant of the nature and workings of the relationship between story or novel and genre or tale, and theoretically informed by innovative critical approaches.

Author : Jennifer Hedgecock
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2019-12-06
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780429590481

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Cultural Reflections of Medusa by Jennifer Hedgecock Pdf

This project studies the patterns in which the Medusa myth shapes, constructs, and transforms new meanings of women today, correlating portrayals in ancient Greek myth, nineteenth- century Symbolist painting, and new, controversial, visions of women in contemporary art. The myth of the Medusa has long been the ultimate symbol of woman as monster. With her roots in classical mythology, Medusa has appeared time and again throughout history and culture and this book studies the patterns in which the Medusa myth shapes, constructs, and transforms new meanings of women today. Hedgecock presents an interdisciplinary and broad historical “cultural reflections” of the modern Medusa, including the work of Maria Callas, Nan Goldin, the Symbolist painters and twentieth-century poets. This timely and necessary work will be key reading for students and researchers specializing in mythology or gender studies across a variety of fields, touching on interdisciplinary research in feminist theory, art history and theory, cultural studies, and psychology.

Author : Kevin A. Morrison
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2023-03-03
Category : History
ISBN : 9781476648378

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Encyclopedia of London's East End by Kevin A. Morrison Pdf

The East End is an iconic area of London, from the transient street art of Banksy and Pablo Delgado to the exhibitions of Doreen Fletcher and Gilbert and George. Located east of the Tower of London and north of the River Thames, it has experienced a number of developmental stages in its four-hundred-year history. Originating as a series of scattered villages, the area has been home to Europe's worst slums and served as an affluent nodal point of the British Empire. Through its evolution, the East End has been the birthplace of radical political and social movements and the social center for a variety of diasporic communities. This reference work, with its alphabetically organized cross-referenced entries and its original and historical photography, serves as a comprehensive guide to the social and cultural history of this global hub.

Author : Michael Billig
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 295 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2019-10-03
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781108498418

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More Examples, Less Theory by Michael Billig Pdf

By examining key psychologists from the past, this book shows why examples are so important and theory is over-valued.

Author : Gizem Serdar Ömür
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 146 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2024-03-06
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781527588912

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Reconstructing Female Sexuality and Deconstructing Male Anxiety by Gizem Serdar Ömür Pdf

This interdisciplinary study undertakes a profound exploration of the representation and symbolism surrounding female genitalia, seeking to challenge entrenched patriarchal narratives. By delving into works by Charles Burns, Angela Carter, and Patrick Süskind, the analysis unveils the intricate interplay between female sexuality and the male psyche. Employing the works of feminist theorists such as Luce Irigaray, Julia Kristeva, Hélène Cixous, Barbara Creed, Riana Eisler, Bracha Ettinger, and Marija Gimbutas, this analysis places the androcentric views reflected in the works of Freud, Lacan and Jung under scrutiny. Departing from conventional approaches, this research celebrates the reproductive features of women, aiming to resurrect a primordial representation rooted in procreational power. Drawing from diverse fields including myth, psychology, archaeology, philosophy, and religion, the study illuminates the layers of unconscious thought embedded in literary works. Ultimately, this study advocates for a non-binary understanding of femininity, positioning the female reproductive body as an enduring gateway between animate and inanimate realms; both alluring and repelling.

Author : Caroline Blyth,Emily Colgan
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 702 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2023-09-25
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781000929010

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The Routledge Companion to Eve by Caroline Blyth,Emily Colgan Pdf

The Routledge Companion to Eve is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary collection which explores the history of interpretation that surrounds Eve’s character in both religious writings and cultural texts. The primary themes discussed in the volume include the religious, historical, and cultural ideologies that have influenced interpretations of Eve, as well as the cultural impact of these interpretations on gender identities and injustices. Chapters trace the evolution of Eve’s interpretive history from ancient biblical texts up to the present day. The contributors engage with both traditional modes of inquiry in text-based religious research as well as the newer fields of reception history and cultural criticism to explore the rich history of interpretation and reception surrounding Eve, as well as the cultural and historical impact these interpretations have had on women’s religious and social lives across space and time. The Routledge Companion to Eve is an original and important collection which will equip readers to begin their own explorations of Eve’s extraordinary legacy. It will be an invaluable resource for scholars of Gender Studies, Biblical Studies, Theology, Religion and Gender, Literary Studies, History of Art, and Cultural Studies.

Author : Janet Clare Wondra
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Gaze in literature
ISBN : 0591766787

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American Medusa, American Sphinx by Janet Clare Wondra Pdf

Author : Marina Belozerskaya
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2012-09-04
Category : Art
ISBN : 9780199876426

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Medusa's Gaze by Marina Belozerskaya Pdf

The Tazza Farnese is one of the most admired objects from classical antiquity. A libation bowl carved from banded agate, it features Medusa's head on its outside and, inside, an assembly of Egyptian gods. For more than two millennia, these radiant figures have mesmerized emperors and artists, popes and thieves, merchants and museum goers. In this, the first book-length account of this renowned masterpiece, Marina Belozerskaya traces its fascinating journey through history. That it has survived at all is a miracle. The Tazza's origins date back to Ptolemaic Egypt where it likely enhanced the power and prestige of Cleopatra. After her defeat by Emperor Augustus, the bowl began an amazing itinerary along many flashpoints in world history. It likely traveled from Rome to Constantinople. After that city's sack by crusaders in 1204, it returned west to inspire the classical revival at the court of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II at Palermo. The Tazza next graced Tamerlane's court at Samarqand, before becoming an obsession of Renaissance popes and princes. It witnessed the rediscovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the turbulent aftermath of the French Revolution, and the birth of the modern Italian state. Throughout its journey, the Tazza aroused the lust of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Mongol rulers, consoled a heart-broken duchess, inspired artists including Botticelli and Raphael, tempted spies and thieves, and drew the ire of a deranged museum guard who nearly destroyed it. More than a biography of the world's most cherished bowl, Medusa's Gaze is a vivid and delightful voyage through history.

Author : Maria Cristina Fumagalli
Publisher : University of Virginia Press
Page : 209 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2009-09-28
Category : Art
ISBN : 9780813928579

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Caribbean Perspectives on Modernity by Maria Cristina Fumagalli Pdf

Reflecting a diversity of texts, genres, and media, the chapters focus on sixteenth-century engravings and paintings from the Netherlands and Italy, a scientific romance produced at the turn of the twentieth century by the king of the Caribbean island Redonda, contemporary collections of poetry from the anglophone Caribbean, a historical novel by the Guadeloupean writer Maryse Condé, a Latin epic, a Homeric hymn, ancient Egyptian rites, fairy tales, romances from England and Jamaica, a long narrative poem by the Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott, and paintings by artists from Europe and the Americas spanning the seventeenth century to the present

Author : Jessie Burton
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2022-01-11
Category : Young Adult Fiction
ISBN : 9781547607600

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Medusa by Jessie Burton Pdf

A dazzling, lyrical YA retelling of Greek myth, from Jessie Burton, internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. "A powerfully feminist, elegiac, and original twist on this old story." -Madeline Miller, bestselling author of The Song of Achilles If I told you that I'd killed a man with a glance, would you wait to hear the rest? The why, the how, what happened next? Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love, betrayal . . . and destiny itself. With stunning, full-color illustrations and a first person narrative illuminating the fierce, vulnerable, determined girl behind the myth, this astonishing retelling is perfect for readers of Circe, and brings the story of Medusa to life for a new generation.

Author : Jess Zimmerman
Publisher : Beacon Press
Page : 226 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2021-03-09
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780807054932

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Women and Other Monsters by Jess Zimmerman Pdf

A fresh cultural analysis of female monsters from Greek mythology, and an invitation for all women to reclaim these stories as inspiration for a more wild, more “monstrous” version of feminism The folklore that has shaped our dominant culture teems with frightening female creatures. In our language, in our stories (many written by men), we underline the idea that women who step out of bounds—who are angry or greedy or ambitious, who are overtly sexual or not sexy enough—aren’t just outside the norm. They’re unnatural. Monstrous. But maybe, the traits we’ve been told make us dangerous and undesirable are actually our greatest strengths. Through fresh analysis of 11 female monsters, including Medusa, the Harpies, the Furies, and the Sphinx, Jess Zimmerman takes us on an illuminating feminist journey through mythology. She guides women (and others) to reexamine their relationships with traits like hunger, anger, ugliness, and ambition, teaching readers to embrace a new image of the female hero: one that looks a lot like a monster, with the agency and power to match. Often, women try to avoid the feeling of monstrousness, of being grotesquely alien, by tamping down those qualities that we’re told fall outside the bounds of natural femininity. But monsters also get to do what other female characters—damsels, love interests, and even most heroines—do not. Monsters get to be complete, unrestrained, and larger than life. Today, women are becoming increasingly aware of the ways rules and socially constructed expectations have diminished us. After seeing where compliance gets us—harassed, shut out, and ruled by predators—women have never been more ready to become repellent, fearsome, and ravenous.

Author : Stephen R. Wilk
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2007-11-15
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 019988773X

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Medusa by Stephen R. Wilk Pdf

Medusa, the Gorgon, who turns those who gaze upon her to stone, is one of the most popular and enduring figures of Greek mythology. Long after many other figures from Greek myth have been forgotten, she continues to live in popular culture. In this fascinating study of the legend of Medusa, Stephen R. Wilk begins by refamiliarizing readers with the story through ancient authors and classical artwork, then looks at the interpretations that have been given of the meaning of the myth through the years. A new and original interpretation of the myth is offered, based upon astronomical phenomena. The use of the gorgoneion, the Face of the Gorgon, on shields and on roofing tiles is examined in light of parallels from around the world, and a unique interpretation of the reality behind the gorgoneion is suggested. Finally, the history of the Gorgon since tlassical times is explored, culminating in the modern use of Medusa as a symbol of Female Rage and Female Creativity.

Author : Susan Wolstenholme
Publisher : SUNY Press
Page : 234 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 1993-01-01
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 0791412199

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Gothic (Re)Visions by Susan Wolstenholme Pdf

Gothic fiction usually has been perceived as the special province of women, an attraction often attributed to a thematics of woman-identified issues such as female sexuality, marriage, and childbirth. But why these issues? What is specifically "female" about "Gothic?" This book argues that Gothic modes provide women who write with special means to negotiate their way through their double status as women and as writers, and to subvert the power relationships that hinder women writers. Current theories of "gendered" observation complicate the idea that Gothic-marked fiction relies on composed, individual scenes and visual metaphors for its effect. The texts studied here--by Ann Radcliffe, Mary Shelley, Charlotte Brontë, Harriet Beecher Stowe, George Eliot, and Edith Wharton--explode the authority of a unitary, centralized narrative gaze and establish instead a diffuse, multi-angled textual position for "woman." Gothic moments in these novels create a textualized space for the voice of a "woman writer," as well as inviting the response of a "woman reader."