The feminist gothic : an analysis of The Handmaid's Tale, 2018

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Dib

Identifier: b7876913

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate English program. The holdings are primarily bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Arts or Master of Fine Arts degrees.

From the Collection:

Students become eligible to pursue the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree if they have obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.) in English from Monmouth University and demonstrate a proficiency for creative writing through a thesis or equivalent work.

From the Collection:

After completing their 30-credit M.A. in English with a Creative Writing concentration, Monmouth’s M.F.A. students take an additional 18 credits of intensive creative writing study that includes the completion of a book-length Creative Thesis.

From the Collection:

During the fall 2022 semester (in instances where the requisite waivers were received from consenting student authors), the Monmouth University Library, together with the University's Graduate School and Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, began providing open access to select full-text digital versions of current theses and dissertations through links to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global website in the Library's Online Public Access Catalog. Links to these open access digital publications can also be found in the "External Documents" section under any conforming titles that are listed among the holdings itemized in the collection inventory for this finding aid.

Dates

Creation: 2018

Creator

DiBiase, Christine M. (Christine Michele) (1994- ) (Author, Person)
Azcuy, Mary Kate (Thesis advisor, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.

Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.

Collection holdings may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (723-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.

Patrons must complete a Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to gain access to the collection holdings. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.

Extent

1 Items (print book) : 39 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Preface [excerpt]

Margaret Atwood's acclaimed novel The Handmaid's Tale has piqued the interest of many Americans, most recently due to its eerie anticipation of current politics. Since the main plot point of the text is the forced removal of women's rights, feminists today feel strongly about the subject matter. While the text is typically analyzed through a feminist lens and much has been written about the novel on points of oppression and women's rights, there is more to be said about the novel's genre. Atwood herself refers to the text as "speculative fiction," and it is widely considered to be a part of the dystopian genre. In addition to these claims, The Handmaid's Tale can also be read as a gothic text, due to the tropes and plot elements present within the story. Even further, the combining of a feminist issue with a gothic storyline breeds a genre of its own: the feminist gothic. The two ideas are already closely related due to the feminist movement itself being gothic in its acknowledgement of the horrors in society. While there has been scholarship published on the concept of a feminist gothic genre, there is still much to be explored and defined. By using The Handmaid's Tale as a case study, a more specific definition of this specific niche in the world of literature can be carved out of this broader idea.