"A Person in History": Feminist Standpoint Theory and Literature
Location
Beaman A&B
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
23-9-2013 1:00 PM
Description
In Margaret Atwood’s dystopia The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred tells us “context is all.” Literature, no matter what kind, is intimately connected to the human experience; indeed, written art is always a product directly associated with how the artist experiences life. As a theorist, John says, she is always searching for theories which connect, rather than separate, our language and our social world with our construction of knowledge. Standpoint theory, originally developed in the social sciences, is a theory that can be beneficially applied to the study of literature. This talk explores the advantages of applying feminist standpoint theory to literature, particularly Passing by Nella Larsen, and shows how literature – perhaps more than any other art form – has the power to make us know and learn from one another, despite our differences.
Recommended Citation
John, Caresse, ""A Person in History": Feminist Standpoint Theory and Literature" (2013). Humanities Symposium. 29.
https://repository.belmont.edu/humanities_symposium/2013/2013/29
"A Person in History": Feminist Standpoint Theory and Literature
Beaman A&B
In Margaret Atwood’s dystopia The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred tells us “context is all.” Literature, no matter what kind, is intimately connected to the human experience; indeed, written art is always a product directly associated with how the artist experiences life. As a theorist, John says, she is always searching for theories which connect, rather than separate, our language and our social world with our construction of knowledge. Standpoint theory, originally developed in the social sciences, is a theory that can be beneficially applied to the study of literature. This talk explores the advantages of applying feminist standpoint theory to literature, particularly Passing by Nella Larsen, and shows how literature – perhaps more than any other art form – has the power to make us know and learn from one another, despite our differences.
Comments
Convocation Credit: Academic Lecture