From Subjection to Survival: The Artistry of American Women Writers

From Subjection to Survival is a feminist scholarship that explores how women writers of the twentieth century use visual art to make sense of their experiences. It establishes a genealogy of how women writers claim the power and possibility of visual art to expose the fundamental substantiation of gender in art and the unavoidable aestheticization of women in daily life.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 154 pages
Publication date: 23 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

From Subjection to Survival is a groundbreaking work of feminist scholarship that delves into the intricate intersection of literature and art history, exploring the written and visual realms. Through a comprehensive examination of six significant and diverse multiethnic American women writers of the twentieth century—Kate Chopin, Anzia Yezierska, Edith Wharton, Zitkala-Ša, Nella Larsen, and Helena María Viramontes—this text establishes a genealogical framework for understanding how these writers harness the power and potential of visual art to interpret and make sense of their own experiences. These writers not only write about women but also feature female protagonists who actively engage with art in various capacities, such as painters, writers, muses, or icons within their own texts. By employing a visually rich and evocative writing style, these texts aim to expose the fundamental underpinnings of gender in art and the pervasive aestheticization of women in everyday life.

However, it is important to note that the aestheticization of women is not always a positive phenomenon. As revealed by the texts in From Subjection to Survival, women can wield significant power through art, yet the process of aestheticization can also lead to negative consequences. Consequently, the artistic self-referentiality present in all of the texts within this book serves as a means to navigate the complex terrain between subjectivity and objectness that women encounter when engaging with art. Through this negotiated course, From Subjection to Survival seeks to unveil the challenging path of womens artistic and aesthetic experiences, ultimately advocating for the empowerment and potential of the visual arts for women.

Weight: 303g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032423876