Table Of ContentCONSTRUCTIONSOFGENDERANDGENRE
INCHANTALCHAWAF'SRETABLE-LAREVERIE
By
ELIZABETHI. DROPPLEMAN
OFATDHEISSUENRITVAERTSIIOTNYPORFESEFNLTOERDIDATOITNHEPAGRRTAIADLUATFEULFSICLHLOOMLENT
OFTHEREDQOUCITROERMEONFTSPHFIOLROSTOHPEHYDEGREEOF
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA
1999
Copyright1999
by
ElizabethDroppleman
.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thisdissertationcouldnothavebeenrealizedwithout
thegenerosityofmanyindividuals. Iamespeciallygrateful
tothecommitteeChair, Dr. WilliamCalin, andthemembers
of thesupervisorycommittee, Dr. JohnLeavey, Dr. Carol
Murphy, Dr. OfeliaSchutte, andDr. GayleZachmann, forthe
expertadviceanddirectionthatmadepossiblethe
completionofthisproject. Special thanks is inorderfor
Dr. GayleZachmann'stirelessworkwithmeonthegenesisof
this study; herextraordinarycommitmenttomentoring
studentshasprovidedmewithamodel that Iwill striveto
emulate
TheCollegeofLiberalArtsandSciences' awardofa
ThreadgilDissertationFellowshipandtheDepartmentof
RomanceLanguagesandLiteratures' awardofaNancyKaufmann
Scholarshipforstudyabroadprovidedgeneroussupportof
whichIamappreciative.
Finally, I cannotpossiblyhowfullymyfamily (Mom,
Dad, Susan, Jackie, John, Richard, Timothy, Taylor, Ellen),
friends (Joe, Judy, Kristy, Xandria, Jeannine, Val, Bill,
Hutch), andWaynehavesupportedmethroughthisendeavor. I
continuetobemovedbytheirgiftsofunfailing
encouragementandlove. Thisdissertationisdedicatedto
MaryLutzandIreneMurphyinremembranceof thepast, and
tothefutureofEllen, Alexa, andourgirlstocome.
TABLEOFCONTENTS
page
ACKNOWLEGMENTS iii
ABSTRACT v
INTRODUCTION 1
Notes 12
CHAPTERONE. MIMICRYANDPERFORMATIVITY 15
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CHAIPNTERRETTAWBOL.E-GLOAINRGEVAEGRAIIENSTFICTION: PARATEXTANDPARODY 67
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CHARPETVEERRITEHREE. MIMICRY: QUESTANDDREAMINRETABLE-LA_._1m08
Resume
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CONCLUSION 174
Notes i82
REFERENCES 183
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 195
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Doctorof Philosophy
CONSTRUCTIONSOFGENDERANDGENRE
INCHANTALCHAWAF'SRETABLE-LAREVERIE
By
ElizabethI. Droppleman
May, 1999
MCahajiorrmaDne:parWtimlelnita:mRC.omaCnacleinLanguagesandLiteratures
Chantal Chawaf'sdazzlingcombinationsofwords, images
andmetaphors forgenewpossibilities forconceptualizing
thebody, particularlythefemalebody. Nonetheless, she
remainsacontroversial figureamongfeministandliterary
criticswhoinsistthattraditionalarchetypesofwomanand
establishedliteraryconventioncontaminateheravant-garde
practiceofecriturefeminine ("femininewriting").
In "ConstructionsofGenderandGenre," Iarguethat
Chawaf'sexcessivedisplaysofgenderandliterary
conventioninthenovelRetable-lareverieformanintegral
partofhermimeticstrategy. This strategyentailsa
hyperbolicperformanceofgenderandgenrenormsthat
actuallyparodies them. Underminingthenormsof literary
andgenderconvention, herparodyalsosubverts thevalues
that supportandsustainthem.
RereadingRetable-lareveriethroughtheopticofa
feministmimeticstrategysheds lightonChawaf'spoeticand
narrativetactics, aswellashermarginalplaceamong
s
practitionersofecriturefeminine. Ineffect, hernovelis
aquintessential exampleofthisradicalpractice. Itnot
onlysubvertstraditional literaryandgenericnorms, it
operateswithin, yetagainst, theestablishmentofecriture
feminineitself toexposeandexpandtheboundariesofthis
avant-gardewritingpractice.
DrawingfromLuce Irigaray'spracticeoftextual
mimicryandJudithButler's theoryofgenderperformativity,
ChapterOnelaysthetheoreticalgroundworkforthestudyof
Chawaf'smimetic strategy.
ChapterTwoexaminestheconstructionofthenovel
throughparatextual elements rangingfromitsmaterial
borders--coverart, titles, headings--tothesymbolicfigure
ofthewombthat symbolizestheethicaldimensionof
Chawaf'secriture feminine. Hermaternalmetaphorprovidesa
representationofradicallydifferentself/otherrelations:
ashiftinthestruggleforidentityfromaparadigmof
dominance/subordinationtomutual recognition.
Aclosereadingof thenarrative, ChapterThreetraces
howthestereotypesofMotherandWomanaresubversively
reiteratedas theyarerepeatedinthenarrative. Retable-la
reveriecreatesanimaginativeperformanceof sexual
reborderizationthat isconstantlynegotiatedthrough
Chawaf'swritingofthebody. Whetherstrategicallyusing
mythsofWomanorboundarymarkersofgenre, Chawaf'
practiceofecriture feminineremains faithful tothe
subversionofestablishedconvention, andpresentsand
exampleparexcellenceof innovativeavant-gardewriting.
INTRODUCTION
Combiningstartlingsensuous imageswithflowing
lyricalprose, contemporaryFrenchnovelist, playwright,
poet, andphilosopherChantalChawaf standsasadistinctive
literaryfigureatthis fin-de-siecle. Whileacknowledgedby
someasoneofthemore inventive, experimentalwritersof
thiscentury,1shecontinuestherebellious Frenchliterary
traditionofwriterswhoviewfictionasapowerful formof
socialandpolitical resistance.
PraisingChawaf's literarytalents, hercritics
emphasizethatherdazzlingcombinationsofwords, images,
andmetaphors forgenewpossibilities forconceptualizing
thebody, particularlythefemalebody. Nonetheless, she
remainsapolemical figureamongfeministliterarycritics
whodismisshertexts forreifyingtraditionalwaysof
thinkingaboutgenderandsex. It is significantthat, on
theonehand, shehasbeenrelativelyneglectedoutsidethe
circlesof feminist criticism, andthat, withinthese
circles, somefaultherfornotapparentlyadheringtothe
generallyacceptedideological aestheticsof themovement.
Hersubversivepracticeseemsdeeplyflawedtofeminist
criticswhoenterhertexts searchingforradical
innovation, yet findthere, onbothphilosophicaland
literarylevels, theverymasculinistnormstheywishedto
, .
escape. Togiveformtoherfemalecharacters, shedraws
fromastereotypicallyfemalebiologicalandmaterial
registerofmoundsof flesh, mucus, andmother'smilk. This
intenseembodiment is interpretedasasignoftheir
inherentpowerlessness. Controversial forshocking
sensibilitiesandtransgressingliterarypropriety, her
corporealpoeticsprovokes strong, eJfenvisceral,
reactions.2Toagreaterextentthanhercontemporaries, she
isblamedforhavingsoexplicitly "tiedthepracticeof
femininewritingtothebiological factofmotherhood"
(Suleiman, "WritingandMotherhood" 370)
Viewedas fundamentallycontradictoryinformand
content, Chawaf's innovativelinguisticmanipulationissaid
tobreakwithnormativeconvention. Yet, addingfuel tothe
chargesofessentialism, hernovelscontinuetorelyupon
polarized, socially "fixed" stereotypes: themasculine
symbolizingthemind, the intelligible, culture, activity,
light; thefeminineas thebody, the irrational, the
sensible, nature, passivity, obscurity (224). Such
masculinistarchetypesofwoman, critics insist, contaminate
heravant-gardepracticeofecriturefeminine. AsBosshard
remarks
hrc1yee'ppaefaqrruftetrirosonnpothuedismaenessnmtonddteedrsees1'nrtpaouelterlrsseeos.nvnicaro(giu2lep2s3sl)esdf'eumcnihnaiwcnaosfteieetnestmaf.secm.uiln.iinncss',est
Evenifherpoetic styleaimstorepresent thebodyin
innovativeways, herwritingreiteratesanunenlightened
paradigmofwoman'snature incritics' views. Likethe
VirginMaryandDante'sBeatrice, herfemale figuresare
oftenlikenedtothebountifulMotherEarth: closerto
naturethanmales, andamediumofaccessthroughwhichman
cancommunicatewithhigherspiritual forces. Inthis
paradigmit seems thatwomanfunctionsonlyinrelationto
man; passive, sheservesonlyinhisquest forself-
knowledge. Reflector, supporter, and "nurturerofthemale
ego" appearstobetheonlyroleplayedbyChawaf'swomen,
ValerieHannaganobserves (183).
Aimingatafeministvisionofharmoniousrelations
betweenmenandwomen, theserelations inChawaf'sworld, it
hasbeenargued, areparadoxicallyoftenmarkedbya
depressivetoneandmarkedbythefailureofherfemale
protagonists toescapetheiralienation, as inRetable-la
reverieandL'Interieurdesheures. Howcouldtherepetition
of suchstereotypesunderminebinarylogicandputinto
questionthesymbolicexclusionof thefeminine? It cannot,
Bossharddecides: "labipolarisationdesetresensexe
masculinet sexefemininpersiste" (223). Intheend, the
promiseherwritingholds forenvisagingnewmale/female
relationsremainsunfulfilled, Hannaganargues. Sheconveys
thegeneralopinionsuccinctly: Chawaf's "textualbodyis
richinsymptoms, butultimatelytheredemptionit seeksto
achieve is firmlygroundedinthe statusquo" (190).
ThecontradictoryreceptionofChawaf'swork, largelyamong
Americanfeminist critics, canbeexplained, inpart, bythe
riseofthephilosophicalessentialist critiqueduringthe
s
1970sand1980s. Now, however, theessentialist/
constructivistdichotomyisbeingrethought.3Analliance
withsexualdifferencehasbeenseenasafoundationalmove,
insteadof takingintoaccount thesocial constructionist
aspectofFrenchfeminist thought. InBodiesThatMatter.
ButlerproposesthatthetraditiontowhichIrigaraybelongs
ultimatelychallengestheessentialist/constructivist
dichotomyatthebasisofmuchfeministpractice. Chawaf'
workcanalsobereadthroughsuchaperspective. Rather
thansettinglimits toconceptualizationsof sexuality, its
purpose, Ipropose, ultimatelyservestoput intoquestion
thefoundationsandboundariesofdiscoursesonsexuality.
Furthermore, theanti-establishment tenet asthe
impetus fordiversepracticesofecriturefemininehasoften
beenoverlooked. Therubricecriturefemininegroups
togetheraneclecticcorpusoftextsbyradical female
intellectualswritingfromtheearly1970stothepresent.*
Jadedbytheirmalecounterparts intherevolutionof 1968,
theseauthors initiatedtheirownrevolt; theypurloinedthe
intellectual andliteraryweaponsofthis still too
conventionalpeergroupwhosemodusoperandiwasgroundedin
thequestioningofall establishedconvention. HeleneCixous
coinedthephraseecriturefeminineinherfamous 1976
manifesto "LeRiredelameduse," whichunderscoresthe
massiveattackbehindthispracticeaimedat the foundation
ofmasculine-biasedinstitutions:
Untextefemininnepeutpasnepasetreplusque
subversif: s'il s'ecrit, c'estensoulevant,
