Article

The Birth of the Female Subject in The Crying of Lot 49

Author: Tracey Sherard (Washington State University)

Abstract

Oedipa Maas is not, in the traditional sense, a "character." But, as Hélène Cixous observes, the notion of character is based on the concept of a single, unified self or identity (Conley 24) – the very ideological/cultural assumption Pynchon's novel calls into question. The concept of character is, in Cixous's opinion, an outmoded literary convention, to break up which is "a political gesture necessary to bring about social change" (Conley 24, 25).

Keywords:

How to Cite: Sherard, T. (1993) “The Birth of the Female Subject in The Crying of Lot 49”, Pynchon Notes.(0). doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/pn.215