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The Power of Women - (Anniversary Collection) by Susan L Smith (Hardcover)

The Power of Women - (Anniversary Collection) by  Susan L Smith (Hardcover) - 1 of 1
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About this item

Highlights

  • Eve tempting Adam with the apple, Delilah shearing Samson's hair, Phyllis riding the philosopher Aristotle like a horse--from the patristic period through the sixteenth century, examples of disorderly women such as these from the Bible, antiquity, and romance were cited to prove beyond any doubt that women exercise a power that no man, however superior his moral and physical qualities, can resist.
  • About the Author: Susan L. Smith is Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts at the University of California, San Diego.
  • 456 Pages
  • Literary Criticism, Medieval
  • Series Name: Anniversary Collection

Description



About the Book



Susan L. Smith's study of the Power of Women topos in written texts and in art emphasizes the critical phase of its development from the late twelfth to the end of the fourteenth century.



Book Synopsis



Eve tempting Adam with the apple, Delilah shearing Samson's hair, Phyllis riding the philosopher Aristotle like a horse--from the patristic period through the sixteenth century, examples of disorderly women such as these from the Bible, antiquity, and romance were cited to prove beyond any doubt that women exercise a power that no man, however superior his moral and physical qualities, can resist. An example of Latin topica, loci, or loci communes central to ancient rhetoric and medieval literature, the Power of Women topos illustrated how a woman could dominate, humiliate, and even destroy the man who loved her too well. Two or more infamous female figures were brought together to exemplify a cluster of interrelated themes: the wiles of women, the power of love, and the trials of marriage.

Susan L. Smith's comprehensive study of the Power of Women topos in written texts and in art emphasizes the critical phase of its development from the late twelfth to the end of the fourteenth century. During this period, she argues, traditional employment of the topos exclusively to condemn women and justify male authority underwent a dramatic shift as new voices (some of them female voices) appropriated the Power of Women to contest and relativize the misogynistic views it had been created to promote.

The Power of Women analyzes the topos's shifting operations in the context of ancient and medieval theories of rhetoric, particularly with respect to the practice of exemplification, which presuppose the possibility of conflicting judgments on disputed topics. Smith further supports her argument by reference to a wide range of recent theoretical writings by Mikhail Bakhtin and others.



From the Back Cover



Susan Smith's comprehensive study of the Power of Women topos in written texts and in art emphasizes the critical phase of its development from the late twelfth to the end of the fourteenth century. During this period, she argues, traditional employment of the topos exclusively to condemn women and justify male authority underwent a dramatic shift as new voices (some of them female voices) appropriated the Power of Women to contest and relativize the misogynistic views it had been created to promote. The Power of Women analyzes the topos's shifting operations in the context of ancient and medieval theories of rhetoric, particularly with respect to the practice of exemplification, which presuppose the possibility of conflicting judgments on disputed topics. Smith further supports her argument by reference to a wide range of recent theoretical writings by Mikhail Bakhtin and others.



About the Author



Susan L. Smith is Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts at the University of California, San Diego.
Dimensions (Overall): 9.32 Inches (H) x 6.38 Inches (W) x 1.14 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.65 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 456
Genre: Literary Criticism
Sub-Genre: Medieval
Series Title: Anniversary Collection
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press Anniversary Collection
Format: Hardcover
Author: Susan L Smith
Language: English
Street Date: August 29, 1995
TCIN: 1001235008
UPC: 9780812232790
Item Number (DPCI): 247-08-8943
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1.14 inches length x 6.38 inches width x 9.32 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.65 pounds
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