This course focuses on gender and writing, specifically on women’s writing. We will mainly examine North American writers (novels and short stories), from the end of the 19th century to the present – for example, such writers as Kate Chopin, Pauline Hopkins, Alice Walker and Katherine V. Forrest. Thus, the texts will range from 19th-century ”New Woman” fiction to African American stories about passing to contemporary lesbian detective fiction. Through these texts we will discuss, among other things, the origin of feminist literary criticism, differences between women, sexual politics, women’s roles, power relations, essentialism and desire.

Assessment: essay/course diary and class contribution.

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