Women and the Autobiographical Impulse: A History

(Paperback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Forming a critical introduction to the history of women's autobiography from the mid 18th-century to the present, this book analyses the most important changes in women's autobiography, exploring their motivation, context, style, and the role of life experiences. Caine effortlessly segues across three centuries of history: from the emergence of the modern autobiography in the 18th-century which laid bare the scandalous lives of fallen women, to the literary and suffragist autobiographies of the 19th-century to the establishment of feminist publishers in the 20th century and the taboo-shattering autobiographies they produced. The result is a much-needed history, one which provides a different way of thinking about the trajectory of genre information. Caines compelling study fills an important gap in the genre of autobiography, by embracing a wide range of women and offering an extensive discussion of the autobiographies of women across the 19th and 20th centuries, making it ideal for classroom use.

Author Bio

Barbara Caine is Head of the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, Australia.