Feminist Approaches to the Body in Medieval Literature forges a new link between contemporary feminist and cultural theory and medieval history and literature. The essays establish crucial historical connections between feminist theorizing about the body and specific accounts of gendered bodies in medieval texts.
The book delves into the decline of visual imagery in late medieval England and examines how this loss influenced modern authors and artists. Through a detailed analysis, it uncovers the cultural and artistic ramifications of diminished visual representation, highlighting the connections between historical shifts and contemporary creativity.
Exploring the tensions between women's lived bodily experiences and the cultural meanings inscribed on the female body, this volume----complete with editors' introduction----includes classic and contemporary essays on rape, pornography, eroticism, anorexia, body building, menstruation, and maternity, and challenges racial, class, and sexual categories.