This paper represents an attempt at an examination and application of Hélène Cixous’ ideas on feminine literature, which are described in her article, “The Laugh of Medusa,” as applied to the text of Jane Austen’s novel Emma. This is an endeavour to dissociate from traditional patriarchal images and apprehensions of feminine lifestyles, which adheres to Cixous’ proposal that the marginalized should imprint their voices into the cannon for themselves. Cixous claimed that representation of such images in literature is required for the advancement of our partial understandings to represent typically marginalized groups in a more genuine manner. In this paper, Austen’s novel Emma is inspected as a historical prototype of a novel that delineates, but also challenges the ways in which the patriarchy places confines on femininity. The analysis focuses on the main female character and her relationship with other female characters, as well as parental figures, and romantic interests. What is taken into consideration is that these are all relationships in which assumptions of femininity established on patriarchal conventions are demonstrated. This shows how Austen managed to display a more refined depiction of feminine identity.
Kostova et al. (Sun,) studied this question.