The chapters in this book were first presented at the Women in
French Biennial Conference held in Leeds in May 2004. The twelve
essays explore the multifaceted commodification of the female body
and provide insights into the mutations of French society and
culture. British and French scholars examine the paradoxes and
contradictions embodied in various images and discourses related to
health and illness from different perspectives, ranging from
sociological studies to analyses of working diaries, children's
medical encyclopaedias and literary texts. The 'resilient female
body' as epitomised by the First World War nurse tends by the end
of the twentieth century to be construed as the 'sanitised female
body', subjected to mind/body dualities largely controlled by the
medical professions. Thus, maternity and related issues such as
birth and contraceptive technologies figure as major themes with
contributors revealing unresolved ambivalences. Other chapters
focus on how women's economic activity can affect their individual
health and, potentially, that of others. A further prominent theme
shows how, for contemporary women writers, serious illnesses such
as cancer and madness in women can be seen as rich metaphors for
the ills of a male-dominated society. Duras's alcoholism and
Aragon's portrayals of prostitution are also discussed.
General
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