A recurrent theme in Diane Elam's work is an argument against the possibility of a complete and definitive representation of woman. Her re-evaluation delivers the genre of romance from reductive categories like womens writing. In doing so, Elam draws important links to difficulties in contemporary feminism. Elam argues that the genre of romance shares an affinity of excess with postmodernism. A link is drawn between romance and postmodernism in that each, in their relation to history and representation, resist narrative limitations, established modes of representation, boundaries and final understandings.
Gender plays a crucial role in re-figuring womans position in the genre of romance.
The figure of woman, through the engendering of romance, allows the past to be represented, however, as Elam argues, the postmodern play of gender reveals the impossibility of a precise and exhaustive representation. Instead, these attempts suggest both the infinite possibilities of women and the failure of such attempts at a final meaning of woman. The objects endless regression into itself escapes the subjects hold which leads to a destabilisation of the subject itself. This limit of representation found in both works strengthens Elams argument against the role of identity politics in feminist theory. Although many feminists ground their own politics in essentialist constructions of women and appeal to identity politics, Elam questions whether these politics do not insist on uniformity and conformity which limit and constrain the multiplicity in women.