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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
English
First Advisor
Chera Kee
Abstract
This dissertation explores patriarchal violence against women not only as a symptom of systemic oppression, but also because of Christian fundamentalist beliefs that furtively pervade societal, political, and personal circles. Across my dissertation chapters that focus on four novels—Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides, and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street—I argue that biblical literalism is used to positively frame oppression and violence against women, and that white supremacy and American nationalism are protected even in seemingly revolutionary texts. Additionally, I argue that purity culture, an ideology that prizes female virginity, paradoxically results in the fetishization of young girls, infantilization of grown women, and commodification of women’s bodies, especially women of color.
Recommended Citation
Martelle, Katie, "“(un)safe In Our Bodies”: Religious Fundamentalism, Purity Culture, And The Upholding Of Patriarchy In Contemporary American Literature" (2024). Wayne State University Dissertations. 4120.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/4120