The Fragmented Female Body and Identity : The Postmodern, Feminist, and Multiethnic Writings of Toni Morrison, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Phyllis Alesia Perry, Gayl Jones, Emma Pérez, Paula Gunn Allen, and Kathy Acker

The Fragmented Female Body and Identity explores the symbol of the wounded and scarred female body in selected postmodern, multiethnic American women's novels, namely Toni Morrison's Beloved, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's Dictée, Phyllis Alesia Perry's Stigmata, Gayl Jones's Corregidora, Emma Pérez's Gulf Dreams, Paula Gunn Allen's The Woman Who Owned the Shadows, and Kathy Acker's Blood and Guts in High School and Empire of the Senseless. In each of these novels, disjointed, postmodern writing reflects the novel's focus on fragmented female bodies. The wounded and scarred body emerges from various, often intersecting, forms of oppression, including patriarchy, racism, and heteronormativity. This book emphasizes the different and nuanced forms of oppression each woman faces. However, while the fragmented body symbolizes oppression and pain, it also catalyzes resistance through recognition. When female characters recognize some element of a shared oppression, they form bonds with one another. These feminist unities, as a response to multiple forms of oppression, become viable means for resistance and healing. Cover Copyright Information Table of contents Acknowledgments 1 Introduction: Multiethnic Fragmentation and Women‘s Community 2 The Fragmented Body and Maternal Healing: The Examples of Toni Morrison‘s Beloved and Theresa Hak Kyung Cha‘s Dictée 3 Reliving African Matrilineage: Re-Membering the Past in Phyllis Alesia Perry‘s Stigmata and Gayl Jones‘s Corregidora 4 Childhood Scars and Women‘s Love in Emma Pérez‘s Gulf Dreams and Paula Gunn Allen‘s The Woman Who Owned the Shadows 5 The Case of the Missing Women: Chaos and the Absence of Female Bonds in Kathy Acker‘s Works Conclusion: Resistance and Feminist Healing Notes Bibliography Index Introduction : Multiethnic Fragmentation And Women's Community -- The Fragmented Body And Maternal Healing : The Examples Of Toni Morrison's Beloved And Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's Dictée -- Reliving African Matrilineage : Re-membering The Past In Phyllis Alesia Perry's Stigmata And Gayl Jones's Corregidora -- Childhood Scars And Women's Love In Emma Pérez's Gulf Dreams And Paula Gunn Allen's The Woman Who Owned The Shadows -- The Case Of The Missing Women : Chaos And The Absence Of Women's Bonds In Kathy Acker's Works -- Conclusion : Resistance And Feminist Healing. Pamela B. June. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.