What is object-relations theory and what does it have to do with literary studies? How can Freud's phallocentric theories be applied by feminist critics? In "Psychoanalysis and Gender: An Introductory Reader" Rosalind Minsky answers these questions and more, offering students a clear, straightforward overview without ever losing them in jargon. In the first section Minsky outlines the fundamentals of the theory, introducing the key thinkers and providing clear commentary. In the second section, the theory is demonstratedn by an anthology of seminal essays which include "Femininity" by Sigmund Freud; "Envy and Gratitude" by Melanie Klein; an extract from "Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena" by Donald Winnicot; "The Meaning of the Phallus" by Jacques Lacan; an extract from "Women's Time" by Julia Kristeva; and an extract from "Speculum of the Other Woman" by Luce Irigaray. "Psychoanalysis andGender: An introductory Reader" is designed especially for students and written with unpretentious prose and carefully selected material. It is an invaluable guide to this major field.

This book outlines the fundamentals of feminist and psychoanalytic theory, introducing the key thinkers and providing clear commentary. In the second section, the theory is demonstrated by an anthology of seminal essays.