A significant sub-genre exists within feminist dystopian speculative fiction that has recently consisted of a growing collection of works in which patriarchal theocracies have played an integral role. In Lee Killough's <I>A Voice Out of Ramah</I> (1979), Margaret Atwoods <I>The Handmaids Tale</I> (1985), Sheri S. Teppers <I>Gibbons Decline and Fall</I> (1996), and beyond, a growing number of feminist writers have recognized the role of religious fundamentalisms within modern patriarchies, and the role that these fundamentalisms could play in the creation of a dystopian future. For the sake of brevity, this thesis focuses on Christian fundamentalism in its various manifestations in the late twentieth century. In addition, it discusses the ideological and organizational characteristics of fundamentalisms, the role of fundamentalism, and the implications of fundamentalists deep mistrust of both liberalism and what they call secular humanism, in feminist dystopian speculative fiction from the final three decades of the twentieth century. The current conflict between feminists and fundamentalists is exemplified by the assertion of many different varieties of Christian fundamentalists that the current state of contemporary societyone they consider to be morally depravedis a direct result of womens emancipation. Dystopian speculations based on this assertion play an integral role in <I>A Voice Out of Ramah</I> (1979), <I>The Handmaids Tale</I> (1985), and <I>Gibbons Decline and Fall</I> (1996), and will be examined, in the work of these and other authors, where relevant.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:USASK/oai:usask.ca:etd-08222007-213904 |
| Date | 24 August 2007 |
| Creators | Matheson, Laura Jean |
| Contributors | Relke, Diana M. A., Morrell, Carol, Matheson, Terry, Clark, Hilary |
| Publisher | University of Saskatchewan |
| Source Sets | University of Saskatchewan Library |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-08222007-213904/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Saskatchewan or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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