Luce Irigaray, a French feminist and theorist, postulated a theory in which gender constitutes an economic exchange. Women become commodities within a patriarchal economic system and their identities are thus derived from their value to men.
Irigaray claims that the female identity is constructed from its commodification in a patriarchal society. Consequently, women are occluded from participating in cultural and socio-economic systems as the feminine can only be represented in relation to men.
This theory of gender as commodity and the various social roles of the female object can be used to analyze to Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Aurora Levins Morales’ Remedios: Stories of Earth and Iron from the History of Puertorriqueñas.
Table of Contents
1. The Hegemonic System of Production: How Shakespeare and History Commodify and Confine the Feminine
Objectives and Topics
This work examines the patriarchal commodification of women through the theoretical lens of Luce Irigaray, analyzing how female identities are reduced to exchangeable objects within specific literary and historical narratives.
- Application of Luce Irigaray’s theory of gender as an economic exchange.
- Analysis of Miranda’s commodification as a "virgin" in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
- Exploration of indigenous women’s roles as "mothers" and reproductive labor in Remedios: Stories of Earth and Iron from the History of Puertorriqueñas.
- Critique of colonialist power structures that facilitate the objectification of women.
- Comparison between Shakespeare’s perpetuation of patriarchal institutions and Morales’ anti-colonial resistance.
Excerpt from the Book
The Hegemonic System of Production: How Shakespeare and History Commodify and Confine the Feminine
Luce Irigaray, a French feminist and theorist, postulated a theory in which gender constitutes an economic exchange. Women become commodities within a patriarchal economic system and their identities are thus derived from their value to men. Irigaray claims that the female identity is constructed from its commodification in a patriarchal society. Consequently, women are occluded from participating in cultural and socio-economic systems as the feminine can only be represented in relation to men (Irigaray 59).
Thus, within this patriarchal economy, women are not bodies of participation, but rather objects of utilization and catalysts for profit. Irigaray furthers this theory of gender as commodity by expounding a trio of social roles which are typically imposed upon women— mother, virgin, prostitute.
Summary of Chapters
1. The Hegemonic System of Production: How Shakespeare and History Commodify and Confine the Feminine: This section introduces Irigaray's theoretical framework of gender as an economic commodity and applies it to the character of Miranda in The Tempest and the indigenous women portrayed in Morales' work, illustrating how both texts reflect patriarchal systems of objectification.
Keywords
Luce Irigaray, Patriarchy, Commodification, Femininity, The Tempest, Remedios, Miranda, Virgin, Mother, Economic Exchange, Objectification, Colonialism, Gender Theory, Reproductive Labor, Power Dynamics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the concept of women as commodities within patriarchal economic systems, specifically utilizing the theories of French feminist Luce Irigaray.
Which theoretical framework serves as the foundation for this analysis?
The analysis is grounded in the work of Luce Irigaray, who posits that in a patriarchal society, gender is constructed through economic exchange where women are treated as objects for men.
What is the central research objective?
The goal is to demonstrate how women are transformed into objects or "commodities" in both Shakespeare's The Tempest and Aurora Levins Morales' Remedios, effectively highlighting how their identities are confined by patriarchal structures.
Which specific literary works are analyzed?
The study focuses on William Shakespeare's play The Tempest and Aurora Levins Morales' Remedios: Stories of Earth and Iron from the History of Puertorriqueñas.
How is the concept of the "virgin" applied in the analysis of The Tempest?
The paper argues that Miranda is reduced to a commodity whose value is primarily determined by her virginity, making her an object of exchange between her father, Prospero, and her husband, Ferdinand.
What social role is identified in the analysis of Remedios?
The analysis identifies the role of the "mother" or reproductive laborer, showing how indigenous women were exploited as catalysts for profit and workforce production by colonizing men.
How does Miranda's interaction with Prospero exemplify patriarchal control?
Prospero exerts complete control over Miranda’s education, memory, and agency, effectively turning her into a "prop" or possession rather than an independent character.
In what way does the paper differentiate between Shakespeare and Morales?
While the paper suggests that Shakespeare’s work propagates the institution of commodifying the feminine, it highlights that Morales uses her narrative to criticize these same institutions through an anti-colonial perspective.
What does the term "un-work" signify in the context of Morales' text?
It represents the essential, yet unrecognized and devalued, labor—such as childbearing and domestic support—performed by indigenous women, which colonizers dismissed as not being "real" work.
What is the significance of the "trio of social roles" mentioned by Irigaray?
The roles of mother, virgin, and prostitute are presented as the primary mechanisms through which patriarchal societies enforce the commodification and restriction of female identity.
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- Lena Dassonville (Autor:in), 2016, The Hegemonic System of Production. How Shakespeare and History Commodify and Confine the Feminine, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/346598
