ENGLISH LIT CRITICS

Helene Cixous Quote

‘woman should write herself’

What did Hélene Cixous pioneer?

proposed an écriture féminine/ writing in white ink, writing which goes against the male phallogocentric cannon of writing. Through it women can express their own individuality, reclaim thier bodies, explore thier place in a male world (engage with otherness) and build strong narratives and identities

How does Hélène Cixous work link to THT

• stream of consciousness > more feminine tone > unusual in literature > explore idea of other (esp. as THT is told orally but in a modern way)

• white ink way to express the ineffable > Offred’s expresses lead her to test boundaries of language demonstrated through odd metaphors and Offred’s obsession with language > language isn’t a neutral medium

How does William Fourd link into THT?

said that 90% of linguistic change is led by woman > theme of storytelling, rebellion, power specificially for women

sexuality in THT Cis

Cixious argue that Offred falling in love w/ Nick neccessary as "Writing is for you, you are for you; your body is yours, take it > could be argued that Offred’s disintegration of narrative (lying > ‘it didn’t happen like that’) is proof of this writing in white ink, feminine reclamation outisde of typically male literary sphere

ASND What did Kazan say about Blanche?

‘find a different character in each scene’ > Blanche is an actress w/ no clear identity > weak

Blanche is a symbol of basic human tragedy

Blanche is ‘dangerous and destructive to Stanley’s life’

drew parallels between Blanche and Williams

What did Kazan say about Stella?

Stella has found salvation at a terrible price (desire? Stanley?)

She keeps her eyes closed deliberately (> Blanche as victim/ femininity/ domestic violence)

Doesn’t want the other world to intrude (illusion too with Stella)

How does Miheala Magdic describe Stella

that Stella escaped her life at Belle Reve (old world, deep seated patriarchy, fate and decline) only to create a new version of it in Elysian Fields (still under thumb of patrirachy, violence of Stanley, decline of her power and family, trapped as trains go by and world ignores her)

Who wrote a streetcar named misogyny

Kathleen Lant

What does A streetcar named misogyny say about Blanche as a tragic character

That Williams doesn’t present Blanche as a victim - she is too frail (unlike Macbeth) with her descent into madness plus the Rape scene is posed by Williams to be an act of poetic justice against Blanche’s promsicuity and unwillingness/ complicity in her husband’s suicide.