Vigilante Women in Contemporary American Fiction

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Alison Graham-Bertolini

   Pages 1-16

3. Great Vengeance and Furious Anger: The Female Avenger

   • Alison Graham-Bertolini

   Pages 17-53

4. Women Warriors and Women with Weapons

   • Alison Graham-Bertolini

   Pages 55-91

5. The Woman Who Snaps, The Woman Who Kills

   • Alison Graham-Bertolini

   Pages 93-127

6. The Female Bandit/Outlaw

   • Alison Graham-Bertolini

   Pages 129-161

7. Conclusions

   • Alison Graham-Bertolini

   Pages 163-170

8. Back Matter

   Pages 171-193

   PDF

Graham-Bertolini provides the first analysis of vigilante women in contemporary American fiction. She develops a dynamic model of vigilante heroines using literary and feminist theory and applies it to important texts to broaden our understanding of how law and culture infringe upon women's rights.

• America
• fiction
• women

“In this wide-ranging, ambitious study of American women’s writing, Alison Graham-Bertolini offers accessibly written, clearly argued, and often perceptive readings of a diverse range of texts. Her analyses shed light on an important and underexamined subject: the figure of the vigilante woman in modern American literature. … this is a consistently engaging contribution to scholarship that ranges across twentieth-century American literature in stimulating and memorable ways.” (Ruth Maxey, Contemporary Women's Writing, Vol. 10 (2), July, 2016)

"Graham-Bertolini opens up valuable discussions about individual responses to gender oppression. She explores the power of language and symbolism; means of working towards gender quality through transformations in gender roles and identities; and the necessity of working outside existing structures (such as legal systems) as a critique of oppression inflicted by those systems." - Kristine Rabberman, Director, Programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences and Instructor in Gender Studies, College of Liberal and Professional Studies, University of Pennsylvania

"Graham-Bertolini has charted a new galaxy of fiery stars in the firmament of women's literature. Her presentation of heroines who challenge, subvert or even kill patriarchal figures to achieve justice and identity willstartle, inform, and inspire readers from many fields." - John Lowe, Robert Penn Warren Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Department of English, Louisiana State University

"Full of drama, color, romance, vitality, the long arm of the law, and the righting of wrongs - what more could anyone want? Vigilante Women in Contemporary American Fiction entertains and inspires, makes you laugh and makes you think and makes you fume. This book is magnificent, even if you're not (for the moment) feeling like you need a hit of revenge. Enjoy!" - Emily Toth, Professor of English and Women's Studies, Louisiana State University and author of Ms. Mentor's Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia

ALISON GRAHAM-BERTOLINI has a Ph.D. in English Literature from Louisiana State University and a Master's degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Her writing and research focus on issues in contemporary American Literature, Ethnic Literature, and Women's Studies. She has recently published articles in the Journal of Feminist Media Studies, The Southern Quarterly, and the edited collection American Writers: Transnationalisms and Diasporas.

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