Publications

This monograph brings together nineteen studies which address, from diverse critical perspectives, how different literatures have explored and challenged cultural constructions of the feminine and the power relations that permeate them. What could Aurora Bertrana, Sally Rooney, or Lu Xun have in common? This publication aims to open up precisely that shared space: a possibility of placing their works in dialogue, of building critical bridges between diverse historical experiences, languages, and sensibilities.

​This monograph aims to act as a bridge between diverse literatures, written by female authors whose experiences might seem, at first glance, distant or disconnected. What common ground could there be between Sylvia Plath and Bing Xin? Or between Fatema Mernissi and Marjorie Agosín? The geographical distance between their places of origin or the linguistic differences that separate them are too obvious answers to deny the possibility of establishing the bridge between East and West proposed in this work. We therefore invite readers to identify more precise and objective answers after reading the chapters presented below.

Today, literary criticism faces a series of challenges. The various feminisms and their theoretical and practical projections face a path fraught with obstacles, such as the question of identity, or overcoming interference from outside the discipline. Some milestones achieved throughout the 20th century include the restructuring of the canon, the positioning of new female authors, and the recognition of invisible writers. This monograph brings together  critical proposals that seek to continue consolidating the feminist field and moving toward greater recognition by society and academia.

The collaborators in this monograph combine their critical voices to offer a network of perspectives on what it means to be a girl, woman and mother, as well as the way in which past, present and emerging literature continues to form and respond to gender standards. If women have come to occupy an increasingly central position in both literary production and criticism in a patriarchal and heterosexist social context, it is thanks to the firm determination and constant creative force of the authors and poets contained in this monograph.

The inclusion of feminist perspectives should facilitate a more equitable representation of human experiences. To achieve this, research that recognizes women's voices must be promoted. This monograph was born as a project toward this goal. The ingenuity with which women historically overcame the barriers imposed by patriarchal power is underestimated. Despite the impositions of social silence, these female authors managed to make their voices heard. Their contributions are fundamental to the current configuration of our cultural paradigm.