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THREE WAVES OF UNDERGROUND FEMINISM IN ÂÂ"SOFTÂÂ" CONSCIOUS-RAISING NOVELS

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Date Issued:
2010
Abstract/Description:
In the chapters of my thesis, I explore how ÂÂ"softÂÂ" consciousness-raising novels of the first, second and third-waves of feminism practice underground feminism by covertly exposing womenÂÂ's socio-political issues outside of the confines of feminist rhetoric. In moving away from the negative connotations of political language, the authors enable the education of female audiences otherwise out of reach. Working from and extending on various theorists, I construct a theoretical model for what I term underground feminism. Running on the principal of conducting feminist activism without using feminist rhetoric, underground feminism challenges the notion that ÂÂ"subtleÂÂ" feminism means weak feminism. In illustrating how underground feminism works in novels and in physical activism, I hope to encourage the recognition of the political utility of womenÂÂ's writings that do not fit the strict archetypes of feminist authorship. Analyzing the effectiveness of covert feminist conversion narratives, I discuss one soft consciousness-raising novel for each wave. The novelsÂÂ--Sarah GrandÂÂ's The Heavenly Twins (1893), Dorothy BryantÂÂ's Ella PriceÂÂ's Journal (1972), and Helen FieldingÂÂ's Bridget Jones's Diary (1996)ÂÂ--accused by scholars of employing weak feminist politics, are investigated as feminist literature that disidentifies with the feminist label with the possibility of facilitating a wide spread conversion process in ÂÂ"would beÂÂ" feminists. After analyzing how the novels place womenÂÂ's issues at the center of discourse by discussing female education, womenÂÂ's voice, and narrative control, I consider how the underground feminism implicit in the texts extends to activism outside of literature. I also end by arguing that these novels enable a more intricate conversation about womenÂÂ's issues in which the voices of both self-identified and non-identified feminists are recognized.
Title: THREE WAVES OF UNDERGROUND FEMINISM IN ÂÂ"SOFTÂÂ" CONSCIOUS-RAISING NOVELS.
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Name(s): Perez, Jeannina, Author
Jones, Anna, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2010
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: In the chapters of my thesis, I explore how ÂÂ"softÂÂ" consciousness-raising novels of the first, second and third-waves of feminism practice underground feminism by covertly exposing womenÂÂ's socio-political issues outside of the confines of feminist rhetoric. In moving away from the negative connotations of political language, the authors enable the education of female audiences otherwise out of reach. Working from and extending on various theorists, I construct a theoretical model for what I term underground feminism. Running on the principal of conducting feminist activism without using feminist rhetoric, underground feminism challenges the notion that ÂÂ"subtleÂÂ" feminism means weak feminism. In illustrating how underground feminism works in novels and in physical activism, I hope to encourage the recognition of the political utility of womenÂÂ's writings that do not fit the strict archetypes of feminist authorship. Analyzing the effectiveness of covert feminist conversion narratives, I discuss one soft consciousness-raising novel for each wave. The novelsÂÂ--Sarah GrandÂÂ's The Heavenly Twins (1893), Dorothy BryantÂÂ's Ella PriceÂÂ's Journal (1972), and Helen FieldingÂÂ's Bridget Jones's Diary (1996)ÂÂ--accused by scholars of employing weak feminist politics, are investigated as feminist literature that disidentifies with the feminist label with the possibility of facilitating a wide spread conversion process in ÂÂ"would beÂÂ" feminists. After analyzing how the novels place womenÂÂ's issues at the center of discourse by discussing female education, womenÂÂ's voice, and narrative control, I consider how the underground feminism implicit in the texts extends to activism outside of literature. I also end by arguing that these novels enable a more intricate conversation about womenÂÂ's issues in which the voices of both self-identified and non-identified feminists are recognized.
Identifier: CFE0003329 (IID), ucf:48456 (fedora)
Note(s): 2010-08-01
M.A.
Arts and Humanities, Department of English
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): feminism
f-word
consciousness-raising
underground
Sarah Grand
The Heavenly Twins
Dorothy Bryant
Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones's Diary
Journal
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003329
Restrictions on Access: private 2011-07-01
Host Institution: UCF

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