Pregnant Fictions: Childbirth and the Fairy Tale in Early Modern France
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.13 (800 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0814330428 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 232 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-07-28 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
How male medical authorities and female literary authors struggled to describe the inner workings of the unseen-and competed to shape public understanding of it-is the focus of this engaging work by Holly Tucker. In so doing they suggested new ways in which to envision women, knowledge, and power in both the public and the private spheres.. On the literary front, Tucker argues, women used the fairy tale to rethink the biology of childbirth and the sociopolitical uses to which it had been put. In illuminating the gender politics underlying dramatic changes in reproductive theory and practice, Tucker shows ju
Holly Tucker is an associate professor in the Department of French and Italian at Vanderbilt University.
"Holly Tucker demonstrates most convicingly how talented writers such as Mme d'Aulnoy, Mlle de La Force, Mlle de Lubert, among others, presented alternative interpretations of the social, medical, and political meanings of childbirth. The cravings of queens and kings for children were not simply literary conventions within the fairy tales of this period, Tucker recounts, but representations of real desires that had practical historical consequences. Her book makes a major contribution to our understanding of gender and reproductive issues in both the literary fairy tale and oral folk tale.""Holly Tucker has managed to use the complex controversies surrounding pregnancy and childbirth in early modern France to illuminate the cultural meaning of the fairy tales written by the co
A Customer said Fascinating!. While scholarly and scrupulously researched, "Pregnant Fictions" is also a lively and engaging read. Academics and nonspecialists alike can learn a great deal about changing attitudes toward pregnancy, the fetus, childbirth, women, and society. Tucker's dry sense of humor and clear style lead the reader confidently through the sometimes complicated and contradictory subject matter. Highly recommended for anyone interested in fairy tales, Renaissance Europe, and/or pregnancy and childbirth.