The Scholar Recalls the Child
The Difference Girlhood Studies MakesAuthor: Sullivan, Megan
Source: Girlhood Studies, Volume 1, Number 2, Winter 2008 , pp. 95-107(13)
Abstract:
In this article I analyze fiction and non-fiction using the critical lens or methodology of Girlhood Studies. I re-examine my published writing on Irish writer Mary Beckett and Irish-American author Lucy Grealy to demonstrate how feminist scholars can read differently. I argue that in my initial readings of the aforementioned texts I neglected the girl in the story, because I was concerned about the woman the female character would become. Finally, I also argue that feminist scholars should mine their own childhood experiences for insight into the study of girls. I provide an excerpt from my memoir in progress to demonstrate how this might be accomplished.Keywords: ILLNESS; CHILDHOOD; MARY BECKETT; LUCY GREALY; FICTION AND NON-FICTION; CLASS; GENDER; LITERARY CRITICISM
DOI: 10.3167/ghs.2008.010206
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