Representing Self, Critiquing Society: Selected Lifewritings by Women

This anthology presents a selection of extracts from women's lifenarratives dating from late 18th century Europe to 19th and early 20th century India, prescribed as part of the Women's Writing paper. The lifenarratives included are extracts from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) by Mary Wollstonecraft, extracts from Amar Jiban (1868) by Rashsundari Debi, and My Testimony (1907) by Pandita Ramabai Saraswati. The selections have been prefaced by a comprehensive general introduction which brings into focus issues of gender and genre, themes, modes and forms of women's lifewriting as well as theoretical challenges confronting women's lifenarratives. Each extract is preceded by an introduction and followed by critical essays flagging the relevant issues involved from multiple perspectives. The volume also contains supplementary material in the form of additional readings.