Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata
Title | Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata PDF eBook |
Author | Simon Brodbeck |
Publisher | Routledge |
Total Pages | 669 |
Release | 2007-08-09 |
Genre | Religion |
ISBN | 1134119941 |
The Sanskrit Mahabharata is one of the most important texts to emerge from the Indian cultural tradition. At almost 75,000 verses it is the longest poem in the world, and throughout Indian history it has been hugely influential in shaping gender and social norms. In the context of ancient India, it is the definitive cultural narrative in the construction of masculine, feminine and alternative gender roles. This book brings together many of the most respected scholars in the field of Mahabharata studies, as well as some of its most promising young scholars. By focusing specifically on gender constructions, some of the most innovative aspects of the Mahabharata are highlighted. Whilst taking account of feminist scholarship, the contributors see the Mahabharata as providing an opportunity to frame discussion of gender in literature not just in terms of the socio-historical roles of men and women. Instead they analyze the text in terms of the wider poetic and philosophical possibilities thrown up by the semiotics of gendering. Consequently, the book bridges a gap in text-critical methodology between the traditional philological approach and more recent trends in gender and literary theory. Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata will be appreciated by readers interested in South Asian studies, Hinduism, religious studies and gender studies.
Gender in the Vampire Narrative
Title | Gender in the Vampire Narrative PDF eBook |
Author | Amanda Hobson |
Publisher | Springer |
Total Pages | 201 |
Release | 2016-09-26 |
Genre | Education |
ISBN | 9463007148 |
Gender in the Vampire Narrative addresses issues of masculinity and femininity, unpacking cultural norms of gender. This collection demonstrates the way that representations of gender in the vampire narrative traverse a large scope of expectations and tropes. The text offers classroom ready original essays that outline contemporary debates about sexual objectification and gender norms using the lens of the vampire in order to examine the ways those roles are undone and reinforced through popular culture through a specific emphasis on cultural fears and anxieties about gender roles. The essays explore the presentations of gendered identities in a wide variety of sources including novels, films, graphic novels and more, focusing on wildly popular examples, such as The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, and Twilight, and also lesser known works, for instance, Byzantium and The Blood of the Vampire. The authors work to unravel the ties that bind gender to the body and the sociocultural institutions that shape our views of gendered norms and invite students of all levels to engage in interdisciplinary conversations about both theoretical and embodied constructions of gender. This text makes a fascinating accompanying text for many courses, such as first-year studies, literature, film, women’s and gender studies, sociology, popular culture or media studies, cultural studies, American studies or history. Ultimately this is a text for all fans of popular culture. “Hobson and Anyiwo chase the vampire through history and across literature, film, television, and stage, exploring this complexity and offering insightful and accessible analyses that will be enjoyed by students in popular culture, gender studies, and speculative fiction. This collection is not to be missed by those with an interest in feminist cultural studies – or the undead.” – Barbara Gurr, University of Connecticut “Hobson and Anyiwo push the boundaries of the scholarship as it has been written until now.” –Catherine Coker, Texas A&M University Amanda Hobson is Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Women’s Resource Center at Indiana State University. U. Melissa Anyiwo is a Professor of Politics & History and Coordinator of African American Studies at Curry College in Massachusetts.
Gender and Narrative
Title | Gender and Narrative PDF eBook |
Author | Rajul Bhargava |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 294 |
Release | 2002 |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
ISBN |
"This book has grown out of a felt-need to rethink and re-evaluate the forces that have been at work shaping the literature of the last decade of the century--literature written in english. There is no denying that what had largely emerged as insurgent writing, especially focusing on the socio-political realities of our country, has today gained wider ground, acceptability and acclaim. It has become a vehicle of articulating awareness, voicing dissatisfaction and reviewing historical and philosophical truths. In its long-strided progress Indian writing in english has not overlooked the literary canons and in the directions it has taken, it has created not only a niche for itself but also made a discernible mark on literary theory. The essays included in this volume represent the multiple ways in which we view our literature."
Gender, Genre & Narrative Pleasure
Title | Gender, Genre & Narrative Pleasure PDF eBook |
Author | Derek Longhurst |
Publisher | Routledge |
Total Pages | 232 |
Release | 2012-08-21 |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
ISBN | 1136321527 |
Recent years have witnessed important new initiatives in the study of popular fictional modes of writing. At one time the field could have been described with reasonable accuracy by two traditions: one that analyzed the production and distribution of popular fiction as commodities; and one whose proponents regarded popular fiction as the negative which offered definition to the exposure of the positive - the ‘great’ canonic literary tradition. Generally, then, popular fictions were to be ‘evaluated’ according to the institutionalized norms which had been established as common sense practice around literary studies. The decade of the 1970s, however ushered in a bewildering range of theoretical debates - a crucial gain was establishment of interdisciplinary courses in communication, cultural and media studies, providing a network of contexts within which serious analysis could evolve and progress. Responding to a fundamental challenge from feminism, a primary objective of this book is to propose that all narrative and its reading are intrinsically inflected by sexual politics. Various approaches represented here demonstrate problems of confronting the gendered pleasures of reading. Questions about self, sexuality and identity within specific historical formations are raised. The objective is to frame, describe and unearth the notion of ‘men as readers’ as a project rather than as the usual, unquestioned normative procedure. Drawing eclectically upon Marxist, psychoanalytic and discourse theory, the essays set out readings of popular texts and genres – the Western, the sentimental novel, detective and crime fiction, political thrillers and horror and science fiction – in the interest of provoking other readers to see the critical study of popular fiction as unthinkable without gender as a central concern.
Telling Performances
Title | Telling Performances PDF eBook |
Author | Brian Nelson |
Publisher | University of Delaware Press |
Total Pages | 280 |
Release | 2001 |
Genre | Gender identity in literature |
ISBN | 9780874137071 |
These essays engage with narratives and narrative issues, in particular on the issue of performance in and of narrative, with the telling of performance and the performance of telling, and the way stories perform gender and identity. They focus on narrative as such, on narrative genres, and on particular narratives, but they all seek to inform thinking on narrative.
Gendering the Narrative
Title | Gendering the Narrative PDF eBook |
Author | Nibedita Mukherjee |
Publisher | Cambridge Scholars Publishing |
Total Pages | 156 |
Release | 2015-10-13 |
Genre | Foreign Language Study |
ISBN | 1443884677 |
This volume brings together a number of recent critical essays on aspects of gender discourse visible in Indian English fiction. The articles included here address the multiple aspects of gender identity and open up doors for a number of varied interpretations. The authors considered range from Saratchandra to R Raj Rao, from Jhabvala to Manju Kapur. The contributions investigate a range of features of gender discourse, including feminism, masculinity, and homosexuality. As such, the volume represents an indispensable companion to any scholar of gender studies interested in the perspectives provided by Indian English fiction.
Gender and the Superhero Narrative
Title | Gender and the Superhero Narrative PDF eBook |
Author | Michael Goodrum |
Publisher | Univ. Press of Mississippi |
Total Pages | 307 |
Release | 2018-10-01 |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
ISBN | 1496818830 |
Contributions by Dorian L. Alexander, Janine Coleman, Gabriel Gianola, Mel Gibson, Michael Goodrum, Tim Hanley, Vanessa Hemovich, Christina Knopf, Christopher McGunnigle, Samira Nadkarni, Ryan North, Lisa Perdigao, Tara Prescott-Johnson, Philip Smith, and Maite Ucaregui The explosive popularity of San Diego’s Comic-Con, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One, and Netflix’s Jessica Jones and Luke Cage all signal the tidal change in superhero narratives and mainstreaming of what were once considered niche interests. Yet just as these areas have become more openly inclusive to an audience beyond heterosexual white men, there has also been an intense backlash, most famously in 2015’s Gamergate controversy, when the tension between feminist bloggers, misogynistic gamers, and internet journalists came to a head. The place for gender in superhero narratives now represents a sort of battleground, with important changes in the industry at stake. These seismic shifts—both in the creation of superhero media and in their critical and reader reception—need reassessment not only of the role of women in comics, but also of how American society conceives of masculinity. Gender and the Superhero Narrative launches ten essays that explore the point where social justice meets the Justice League. Ranging from comics such as Ms. Marvel, Batwoman: Elegy, and Bitch Planet to video games, Netflix, and cosplay, this volume builds a platform for important voices in comics research, engaging with controversy and community to provide deeper insight and thus inspire change.