Hey, Lane? Seek Sue.
Hélène Cixous, a feminist writer. “Born in Oran, Algeria, to a multicultural, diasporic Jewish family that spoke German and French, she was surrounded by Spanish and Arabic . . . ,” etc., etc. Wow. I think I noted before that a lot of the people in our textbooks led interesting lives. Cixous does not disappoint in that respect.
On to Feminism. (“Laugh of the Medusa,” p. 2039.)
I’m confused by Cixous, just as I’m confused by most of what I read. I’ll read this essay. OK, she asserts that “woman must write women” “and man, man” (2041). OK. I’ll hold on to that thought as I keep reading. I admit that it’s hard to read this stuff, largely because I have little knowledge of Freud and even less knowledge of Greek mythology and other Classical stuff. Still, I gotta admit that Cixous has a great sense of style to her writing. OK, so . . . “either you want a kid or you don’t — that’s your business” (2053). Not really literary, but I guess it’s important. OK, reading some more. Oh, no, last page! Look for meaning, AndrewTheory! Not much time left! Oh, no! I’ve got nothing! OK, back to the biography pages, there must be some explanation there. OK, so sex is not a man completing a woman. Not literary, but still important, I guess. Uh… oh, wait, Cixous claims she’s not a feminist! Then what am I reading here? Wha—? OK, nothing new here. Crap. OK, folks, give me a second here. I need to think.
OK, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to take another stab at feminism next time here on AndrewTheory. Probably Virginia Woolf. I mean, who’s afraid of Virginia Wolfe, after all?
