Presence, process, product: the significance of the womb in writing woman
Date of Award
2015
Degree Name
M.A. in English
Department
Department of English
Advisor/Chair
Advisor: Margaret M. Strain
Abstract
In this paper, I propose a way to interpret Trinh T. Minh-ha's theory of writing woman. Minh-ha claims that writing woman must come through the body; therefore, I argue that this movement is situated within the womb. To navigate my argument, I investigate three texts as they represent the womb in different stages. First, I use two short stories from Chinelo Okparanta's collection Happiness, Like Water to articulate the presence of the womb. Then, I explore the television miniseries Top of the Lake to demonstrate the process of the womb. Finally, I employ Karen Russell's short story Reeling for the Empire" to evince the product of the womb. These texts present the womb in atypical ways, which allows me to conclude that writing woman is a comprehensive endeavor that works to recognize the embodied experiences of women."
Keywords
Okparanta, Chinelo. Happiness, like water. Selections, Russell, Karen 1981 - . Reeling for the empire, Top of the Lake (Television program), Uterus In literature, Feminism in literature, Feminism on television, Feminist theory, Comparative Literature, Trinh T Minh-ha, Body theory, Feminist theory, Writing Woman, Chinelo Okparanta, Jane Campion, Karen Russell, Happiness, Like Water, Top of the Lake, Vampires in the Lemon Grove
Rights Statement
Copyright © 2015, author
Recommended Citation
Cook, Brittany Ann, "Presence, process, product: the significance of the womb in writing woman" (2015). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 785.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/graduate_theses/785
