Feminist Readings of Antigone

261 Pages·2010·5.09 MB·English

by  Fanny Söderbäck (editor)

feminist readings of antigone
edited by fanny söderbäck
Feminist Readings of Antigone
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SUNY Series in Gender Theory
—————
Tina Chanter, editor
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Feminist Readings of Antigone
Edited by
FANNY SÖDERBÄCK
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Cover art: Bracha L. Ettinger, Eurydice no. 50
Oil on paper mounted on canvas (25.3 x 31.1 cm), 2006–2007
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2010 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic
tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in
writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Production by Eileen Meehan
Marketing by Michael Campochiaro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Feminist readings of Antigone / edited by Fanny Söderbäck.
p. cm. — (SUNY series in gender theory)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4384-3279-3 (alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4384-3278-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Sophocles. Antigone. 2. Feminism and literature—Greece. 3. Antigone (Greek
mythology) in literature. 4. Women in literature. 5. Sex role in literature.
6. Tragedy. I. Söderbäck, Fanny, 1978–

PA4413.A7F46 2010
882'.01—dc22 2010005120
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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For Jonna, my sister, who has the courage of Antigone.
And for all women who fi ght for the right to speak in their own voice.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Why Antigone Today? 1
Fanny Söderbäck
Prologue: Nomadic Antigone 15
Moira Fradinger
I. Between Past and Future:
Feminist Politics in the Private and Public Realms
1. After Antigone: Women, the Past, and the Future of
Feminist Political Thought 27
Catherine A. Holland
2. On the Body of Antigone 45
Adriana Cavarero
3. Impossible Mourning: Sophocles Reversed 65
Fanny Söderbäck
4. The Performative Politics and Rebirth of Antigone in
Ancient Greece and Modern South Africa 83
Tina Chanter
5. The Eternal Irony of the Community 99
Luce Irigaray
6. “the celestial Antigone, the most resplendent fi gure ever to
have appeared on earth”: Hegel’s Feminism 111
J. M. Bernstein
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viii Contents
II. Incestuous Desire:
Sexuality, Kinship, and Psychoanalytical Approaches
7. Promiscuous Obedience 133
Judith Butler
8. Antigone’s Line 155
Mary Beth Mader
9. Beyond Pleasure: The Other History of Sexuality 173
Cecilia Sjöholm
10. Transgressing With-In-To the Feminine 195
Bracha L. Ettinger
11. Antigone: Limit and Horizon 215
Julia Kristeva
Bibliography 231
Contributors 241
Index 245
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Acknowledgments
Editing a book is both a solitary and deeply collective endeavor. This volume
not only gathers a series of dialogues and debates in a particular academic fi eld
but it is also—like most books—the result of conversations with colleagues,
teachers, students, and friends. It is impossible for me to properly thank all
those who have contributed along the way. Let me nevertheless attempt to
mention a few.
First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to two individuals
without whom this book would not exist: J. M. Bernstein, my mentor, in
whose seminar on tragedy and philosophy my passion for Antigone was born;
and Tina Chanter, whose tireless work on this fi gure is a source of inspiration,
and who supported my proposal from the outset. Their ongoing encouragement
made this project possible.
Great thanks go, as well, to all of the participating authors, whose con-
tributions brought this book into existence, and who were simply wonderful to
work with throughout the various stages of the process. I want to thank Ella
Brians, who kindly lent me her sharp eyes as I prepared the manuscript for pub-
lication. My gratitude also goes to the two anonymous readers at SUNY Press,
who provided helpful feedback and comments, and to Jane Bunker, Michael
Campochiaro, and Eileen Meehan at SUNY Press for their invaluable assistance.
I am indebted to Matt Hackett and Anne Marsella for helping me edit Julia
Kristeva’s essay, and to Christina Kkona for guidance with Greek translitera-
tions. I owe special thanks to Claudia Baracchi for providing keys to unlock
the world of ancient Greece.
I cannot properly thank Matt Hackett for the tireless work he has put into
this project. His philosophical depth and language skills have been an invaluable
resource, and his generosity a sign of true friendship. Finally, I would like to
thank Ben Goldfarb for giving me courage in the early stages of the project;
Rocío Zambrana, Stina Bergman, and my parents for their unfailing love and
support; and Tana Ross and Anne Thulin, who so generously welcomed me
into their home, providing the abode in which this book came to life.
ix
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x Acknowledgments
!"
Generous funding has been provided through J. M. Bernstein by the Philosophy
Department of the New School for Social Research and by the Lars Hiertas
Minne Foundation in Sweden.
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