Deferrals of domain
Subtitle: contemporary women novelists and the state
By: Martine Watson Brownley.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2000
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 277
Subjects: Atwood, Margaret Eleanor, 1939-; Drabble, Margaret, 1939-; Marshall, Paule, 1929-; Gordimer, Nadine; Commonwealth fiction (English) -- Women authors -- History and criticism; Literature and state -- English-speaking countries -- History -- 20th century; Women and literature -- English-speaking countries -- History -- 20th century; English fiction -- Women authors -- History and criticism; State, The, in literature
Description: "Contemporary female novelists tend to portray the relationship between women and the state as profoundly negative, in contrast to various constructions in current feminist theory. Martine Watson Brownley analyzes novels to explore the significance of this disparity. The book uses literary analysis to highlight elements of state power that many feminist theorists currently occlude, ranging from women's still minimal access to state politics to the terrifying violence exercised by modern states.

At the same time, however, feminist theory clarifies major elements in many contemporary women's lives about which the novels are ambivalent or misleading, such as romantic love and the role of sexuality in state politics. Deferrals of Domain fills a double gap, both authorial and topical, in current critical treatments of women writers and will be of interest to both literary and women's studies scholars."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [227]-266) and index.