Information to Users
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313,'761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 9427796 Disinheriting the father: The nature and function of feminist rhetorical appropriation Shugart, Helene Anna, Ph.D. The Ohio State University, 1994 Copyright ©1994 by Shugart, Helene Anna. All rights reserved. UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Aibor, MI 48106 DISINHERITING THE FATHER: THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF FEMINIST RHETORICAL APPROPRIATION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Helene Anna Shugart, B.A., M.A. The Ohio State University 1994 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Sonja K. Foss Josina M. Makau Adviser Mary M. Garrett Department of Communication Copyright by Helene Anna Shugart 1994 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people who contributed to this project and to whom I am enormously grateful. First, I would like to acknowledge the authors whose works I have examined in the context of this project and who graciously granted me permission to reproduce those works herein, for reference purposes. Namely, I would like to thank Susan Dorothea White, creator of the provocative painting, The First Supper (1988); Margaret Atwood, author of the eloquent poems, “Orpheus (1)” and “Eurydice” (Selected Poems II: Eoems Selected and New 1976-1986, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987); and Edith Hamilton, for her precise rendering of the traditional myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (My.tbQlQfly; Timeless Tales fll Gods and Heroes. Chicago: Mentor, 1969). I am so fortunate to have been guided by a fine committee in this process. Sonja Foss, my mentor, has been a sure and steady influence on me, professionally as well as personally; I have had the privilege of being invited into her life, and she has modelled for me professional integrity, honesty, dedication, and compassion. Josina Makau, an extraordinary teacher, truly nurtured knowledge and understanding in me in a way that has equipped me to make my world a better place. Mary Garrett provided quiet but profound insights and advice along the way that always compelled me to meet the standards that I am capable of meeting. My graduate experience has been enriched by all of the colleagues and friends that I have had the pleasure of knowing throughout this process. I would like to acknowledge, especially, Catherine Egley Waggoner, who is teaching me how to fly and to mingle, and whose thoughtful words of encouragement always seem to come at just the right moment; Lynn O’Brien Hallstein, who always lifts my spirits—her warmth, charm, and dynamic approach to life always manage to cheer me; Kellie Hay, who makes me laugh and gives great hugs; and Marianne Dainton, with whom I have had many occasions to share a much-appreciated beer. My parents always have provided me with unconditional and enthusiastic support of every variety in my endeavors, and that support was extremely important to my graduate education. My mother, Anni Shugart, is my inspiration; I am so privileged to have been connected to this strong woman, whose unlimited resourcefulness, energy, humour, and generosity continue to amaze me. My father, John Shugart, has always been the person I can count on in the end. I have always been moved by his gentleness, consideration, and kindness, which are consistently apparent when I really need them. Finally, I would like to thank Edward Bennett, my partner and friend. His unflagging and explicit support and love for me provided the foundation that made this whole endeavor possible--he has grounded me throughout this tumultuous process. His seemingly boundless confidence in me motivated me during the hardest parts, and he always had enough to compensate for the gaps in my own. His unreserved openness and kindness always clarify for me what it means to be a good person. VITA 13 May 1966..................................................... Born-Haag, Germany 1 9 8 9..................................................................... B. A., Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 1 9 9 1..................................................................... M. A., Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Communication Studies in: Rhetorical Criticism Rhetorical Theory Feminist Perspectives on Rhetoric iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................. ii VITA....................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF PLATES.............................................................................................. vii CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................... 4 Significance of the Study ..................................................... 6 Survey of the Literature ........................................................ 7 M ethod........................................................................................ 34 Limitations................................................................................. 51 Structure of the Study ............................................................ 51 II. SHAME: APPROPRIATING SHANE........................................ 53 Description of the Artifacts ................................................... 53 Analysis of the Artifacts.......................................................... 59 C onclusion ................................................................................ 90 III. THE FIRST SUPPER: APPROPRIATING THE LAST SUPPER .................................................................... 94 Description of the Artifacts ................................................... 95 Analysis of the Artifacts.......................................................... 99 C onclusion ................................................................................ 125 v IV. “ORPHEUS (1)” AND “EURYDICE": APPROPRIATING THE CLASSICAL MYTH............................................................ 133 Description ot the Artifacts ................................................... 134 Analysis of the Artifacts......................................................... 142 C o nclusion ............................................................................... 161 V. AN EVALUATION OF APPROPRIATION AS A FEMINIST RHETORICAL STRATEGY.................................... 164 Summary of Analyses............................................................ 165 Successful Feminist Rhetorical Appropriation 169 Assessment of Artifacts.......................................................... 174 Reevaluation of the Literature ............................................. 189 APPENDICES A. Plates................................................................ 194 B. Hamilton’s “Orpheus and Eurydice” ................................... 197 C. Atwood’s “Orpheus (1)" and “Eurydice”................................ 201 LIST OF REFERENCES................................................................................. 206 vi LIST OF PLATES PLATES I. The Last S u p p e r. Painted by Leonardo d a Vinci, completed 1497. The fresco, which is composed of oil tem pera applied to dry plaster, m easures 13’10" x 297.5”. It is housed in the Convent of Dominican Friars, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy.............................................................................................. 195 II. The First Supper. Painted by Susan Dorothea White, 1988. The painting is acrylic on wood and measures 4’4” x 8’4”. It was exhibited at the Volkshochschule, Munich, Germany................................................................... 196 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Spaces can be real and imagined. Spaces can tell stories and unfold histories. Spaces can be interrupted, appropriated, and transformed through artistic and literary acts “The appropriation and use of space are political acts." (hooks, 1990, p. 152) . .. I no longer think of myself