Katarzyna Smyczyńska
A Girl in a BigCity. Identity and Urban Space in "Chicklit" Novels
The aim of the article is to portray the contemporary genre of "chicklit" as representative of dilemmas faced by a modern woman in construing her identity against the background of city culture. The main theme of the paper and the focal point of the analysis of various texts is the relation between space and identity, discussed primarily with reference to the cultural theories of Michel de Certeau and Anthony Giddens. The protagonists of the genre find themselves functioning in the ideologically defined public sphere, where space is marked by designated gender roles and thus largely determines patterns of expected behaviour. The author argues that
through their distinct treatment of the tension permeating such spaces and through a hitherto unencountered attitude and lifestyle, the heroines create a new type of identity, which although problematic and filled with internal paradoxes and conflicting desires, manages to leave an imprint on the city space and is ultimately responsible for its transformation.
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No. 13 (2006)
Published: 2006-10-01
10.31261/errgo
English
Język Polski