- Title
- “Having it all”?’: ”?:(re) examining conspicuous consumption and pernicious masculinities in South African chick-lit
- Creator
- Spencer, Lynda G
- Date
- 2018
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/138798
- Identifier
- vital:37673
- Identifier
- https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC-13f7e3010
- Description
- A number of South African women writers have taken up chick-lit as a form of writing that enables them to reflect on the experiences of the modern woman in post-apartheid South Africa. The protagonists portrayed in chick-lit narratives occupy ambiguous positions: they may have benefitted from feminist politics, which has opened new possibilities for them; however, underlying this emancipation is an implicit collusion with patriarchy. Chick-lit refuses to offer a clear-cut construct of women’s lives; instead, it suggests a problematic terrain that is inherently ambiguous and contradictory, simultaneously empowering and oppressing women. It depicts a realistic world where contemporary women critique patriarchy and attempt to break free of its stranglehold by finding new methods of self-realisation. In this article, I argue that as a genre chick-lit offers a space of recognition and reflection for women who share a similar world view and emotional knowledge that stems from a common historical experience.
- Format
- 19 pages, pdf
- Language
- English
- Relation
- English in Africa, Spencer, L.G., 2018. “Having it all”?:(re) examining conspicuous consumption and pernicious masculinities in South African chick-lit. English in Africa, 45(3), pp.79-97., English in Africa volume 45 number 3 79 97 November 2018 0376-8902
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Sabinet Terms and Conditions Statement (https://www.sabinet.co.za/terms-conditions)
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Collections
Spencer, Lynda Gichanda (Dr)
Gender Action Forum (GENACT)
SDG 05. Gender Equality
RU Department of Literary Studies in English
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | Having it all.pdf | 588 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |