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Budd, Stacey A. (2010) Burning glass : Compulsive creativity, self-destruction and the woman artist, with reference to a selection of works by Margaret Attwood and A.S. Byatt. Masters thesis, University of Gloucestershire.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Female creativity and the figure of the woman artist are subjects which have been debated by many writers, such as Margaret Atwood, A.S. Byatt, and Germaine Greer. Similarly the relative aesthetic and original qualities of women's art have been discussed in relation to their potential feminist capacity as inspirational and liberating potential. The physiological and psychological circumstances under which a woman artist produces her best material has come under significant discussion in the literary world. Furthermore, the feminist and psychoanalytically-informed writings of Germaine Greer, and Susie Orbach call attention to women's inherent need to create, with a different aesthetic than men's that correlates with writing 'the body', (along with the damaging effects that women suffer if this need is stifled). Through the study of a selection of theoretical works of feminist and psychoanalytic writers, and with reference to the depictions outlined in a selection of the fictional and theoretical works of Margaret Atwood and A.S. Byatt, I intend to establish that, while the woman artist's fluid identity is arguably crucial to her artistic expression, it is ultimately damaging upon her sense of 'self, often leading to behaviour of a self-destructive nature when, for a variety of reasons, her creativity can no longer be channelled constructively. I will be studying how women's perception of their bodies contributes to their ability to channel their creativity, through their attitudes towards weight and the masquerade of a 'womanly' appearance. I also intend to establish the extent to which the female body is considered a vessel of creativity, in its ability to bear children, and the damaging impact that infertility and the menopause can have upon the woman artists' ability to express her creativity. Finally, by exploring the complexities of women's relationships, both with other 'sisters' and with men, I intend to address the extent to which the complexities of the woman artist's inter-relations can both strengthen and weaken her ability to create.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) | |||||||||
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| Additional Information: | Reference only copy available at University of Gloucestershire, Francis Close Hall Library, Cheltenham. | |||||||||
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Margaret Attwood; A.S. Byatt; Literary criticism; English literature; Canadian literature | |||||||||
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| Subjects: | P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0080 Criticism P Language and Literature > PR English literature > PR750 Prose > PR821 Prose fiction. The novel |
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| Divisions: | Schools and Research Institutes > School of Creatives | |||||||||
| Depositing User: | Susan Turner | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 21 May 2021 12:58 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 31 Aug 2023 08:56 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/9714 |
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