Macquarie University

Feminism and Literature - ENGL306

This unit introduces students to the two terms in the unit title, and investigates the relationships between feminism and literature. Definitions are explored across a variety of English, American and Australian texts from different genres. As well as being an introduction to feminist literary criticism, this unit introduces students to lesser known writings by women, which precede and follow developments in feminist literary criticism. In this way it is part of the recovery of women's writing. The unit also considers the relationships between readers and texts, and focuses on our experiences of reading these texts. Throughout the unit different kinds of feminist analysis are also presented and discussed so that at the end students should have an understanding of the parameters of feminist discourse, where they have come from and where they are now. Central issues considered in relation to feminism and literature include: individualism, politics, history, society, authorship, genre and canons.