POLITICS OF THE (TEXTUAL) BODY : EMBODIED ISSUES OF GENDER AND POWER IN AIDOO'S CHANGES: A LOVE STORY, FAQIR'S PILLARS OF SALT, AND WINTERSON'S WRITTEN ON THE BODY

Abstract

This thesis explores the literary manifestation of patriarchal embodiment in several multicultural novels: Ama Ata Aidoo's Changes: A Love Story, Fadia Faqir's Pillars of Salt, and Jeanette Winterson's Written on the Body. Using theories of embodiment, gender, and power, I analyze how the female body is cast as a surface onto which gendered power structures can be inscribed, as well as the ways in which the body subverts cultural gender norms. The novels exemplify the relationship among literature, culture, and consciousness and offer visions of feminism outside of a Western paradigm. [Trigger Warning: This thesis features instances of sexual violence that may be triggering to some readers.]