L389 2094 FAVRET
Feminist Literary and Cultural Criticism

2:30p-3:45p TR (30) 3 CR.

Topic: “Icons of Feminism”

This course looks at three crucial figures who have haunted feminist thought and responses to feminism over the centuries: Sappho, known as the first female poet, remains an enigmatic icon of feminine desire and creativity; Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and the heroine of Sophocles’s play Antigone, still inspires feminist analyses of women’s relationship to law, the state and civil society; and Joan of Arc, the militant maid of Orleans, troubles thinking about women and violence as well as women, religion and spirituality. The course will examine literary works written about these iconic figures, as well as contemporary feminist writings about their influence and viability as models for the future of feminism. At the end of the semester, students will choose and investigate their own icon, and argue for its contemporary value. In addition to this final project, the course will include a midterm exam, two essays, and several shorter writing assignments.