Rooms of Their Own: Feminist Thought in Literature

In this course we shall explore the development of women's writing and social politics, looking at how feminist thought has been expressed in literature from the 19th century onward. Reading seminal novels by women, we will discuss topics including the 19th century 'New Woman', the struggle for artistic recognition that many women writers have faced, and global gender issues. Students on this course will read a selection of texts written by women. Early feminist philosophy will be explored through A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft and through our reading of A Room of One's Own and Jane Eyre we shall consider the impact Woolf and Bronte have had on the literary landscape. We shall consider how 'confessional' texts such as Chopin's The Awakening and Kraus's I Love Dick were received by contemporary readers and reviewers, and how far they have expedited changes in social attitudes towards femininity and the place of women in society. Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale will expose questions of sex, morality, power and allow us to consider the science fiction genre in a feminist context. Students will read two post-colonial novels and be asked to consider the relationship between history and the development of feminist theories.   Credit level: 7 Year taken: Year 1 Undergraduate SCQF credits: 10

Not running in 2025/26