Recent feminist theorists have suggested that the flaneur---a key trope of modernity---had a sister figure who, if not equally on par in importance, figured significantly within the changing modern landscape. The 'flaneuse' also gazed upon the spectacle of urban life, only she did so from the vantage point of the consumer dream-land that was the department store. But how useful is this trope of the flaneuse and what are its, or more specifically, her limitations, particularly within her popular construct as the consumer-observer? This paper explores the concept of the flaneuse, challenges her definition as consumer and questions the usefulness of this metaphor, particularly as it relates to the original construct of the flaneur. This paper is a review of the writing on the flaneuse as well as an exercise in deconstructing one of her likenesses. I argue that the consuming- flaneuse is at odds with the entire premise of flanerie . In the translation from flaneur to flaneuse, the physical similarities may have been accounted for but the ideology of flanerie---what makes the flaneur such a powerful metaphor---has been lost. I suggest, therefore, that a new image of modernity needs to be found for women, one that provides a more balanced perspective of women's experiences and that takes women out of the very limited arenas of consumption.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.31148 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Williams, Suzanne Elizabeth. |
| Contributors | Straw, Will (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Arts (Department of Art History and Communication Studies.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001808110, proquestno: MQ70327, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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