Clever Girls and the Literature of Women's Upward Mobility

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, History
Cover of the book Clever Girls and the Literature of Women's Upward Mobility by Mary Eagleton, Springer International Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mary Eagleton ISBN: 9783319719610
Publisher: Springer International Publishing Publication: February 15, 2018
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan Language: English
Author: Mary Eagleton
ISBN: 9783319719610
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Publication: February 15, 2018
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan
Language: English

This book follows the figure of ‘the clever girl’ from the post-war to the present and focuses on the fiction, plays and memoirs of contemporary British women writers. Spurred on by an ethic of meritocracy, the clever girl is now facing austerity and declining social mobility. Though suggesting optimism, a public discourse of ‘opportunity’, ‘aspiration’ and ‘choice’ is often experienced as an anxious and chancy process. In a wide-ranging study, the book explores the struggle to move away from home and traditional notions of femininity; the persistent problems associated with women’s embodiment; the pressures of class and racial divisions; the new subjectivities of the neoliberal era; and the generational conflict underpinning austerity. The book ends with a consideration of feminism’s place as a phantom presence in this history of clever girls. This study will appeal to readers of contemporary women’s writing and to those interested in what has been one of the dominant social narratives of the post-war period from upward to declining mobility. 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book follows the figure of ‘the clever girl’ from the post-war to the present and focuses on the fiction, plays and memoirs of contemporary British women writers. Spurred on by an ethic of meritocracy, the clever girl is now facing austerity and declining social mobility. Though suggesting optimism, a public discourse of ‘opportunity’, ‘aspiration’ and ‘choice’ is often experienced as an anxious and chancy process. In a wide-ranging study, the book explores the struggle to move away from home and traditional notions of femininity; the persistent problems associated with women’s embodiment; the pressures of class and racial divisions; the new subjectivities of the neoliberal era; and the generational conflict underpinning austerity. The book ends with a consideration of feminism’s place as a phantom presence in this history of clever girls. This study will appeal to readers of contemporary women’s writing and to those interested in what has been one of the dominant social narratives of the post-war period from upward to declining mobility. 

More books from Springer International Publishing

Cover of the book Square Matrices of Order 2 by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Workbook for Principles of Microeconomics by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Francis Bacon on Motion and Power by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Fundamentals of Pediatric Drug Dosing by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book The Leadership Hubris Epidemic by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Food Roofs of Rio de Janeiro by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Democracy in the EMU in the Aftermath of the Crisis by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Energy Management in Wireless Cellular and Ad-hoc Networks by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Formal Modeling and Analysis of Timed Systems by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Computational Methods in Earthquake Engineering by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Islamic Banking by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Foundational Research in Entrepreneurship Studies by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Advancing Entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates by Mary Eagleton
Cover of the book Challenges in Higher Education for Sustainability by Mary Eagleton
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy