Hélène Cixous

Cixous provided one of the most significant reads for me this semester. I had an interest in the écriture féminine ever since my introduction to the concept in my previous Gender Issues and Women’s Literature classes. I liked that her writing style in our selection clearly illustrated her ideas about a woman’s voice.

I can relate to Cixous as the authors portray her in the intro (1523). I grew up surrounded by the 70s feminist movement in American and never felt comfortable fully identifying with the movement itself, although I hoped for many of its purported goals.

But in the US, we experienced nothing compared to the 1968 uprisings that occurred in France, at least in level of intensity. The nation of France has a long history of manifestations (demonstrations) sanctioned by the government. In fact, groups often file an intent to demonstrate with local authorities before carrying out strikes, etc. When the student uprisings began in ’68, the numbers involved grew to far beyond what has ever been seen in this country. So Cixous writes against a backdrop somewhat akin to all 1960s-70s feminist experience, but one with unique undertones. The authors portray her as inclusive and collaborative in spirit, a sensibility I share. And, although her writing in "Laugh" seems strong and definitely confrontational at times, I pick up on her inclusive language as much as her exclusive ideas.

I’m intrigued by her assertion that “[i]t is impossible to define a feminine practice of writing, and this is an impossibility that will remain, for this practice can never be theorized, enclosed, coded—which doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist”(1529). She does not claim that it is impossible because the feminine writing defies description or has some mystical, other-worldly quality, but because rhetoric of masculine authority pervades the system.