Hélène Cixous: The Laugh of the Medusa

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Introduction to the University of Philosophical Research and Fall Semester Classes

University of Philosophical Research offers online classes starting on October 8th.
Fall semester classes include short story writing, world religions, psychology, and more.
Classes are taught by graduates of Pacific Graduate Institute.
The class being held currently is on French literary theory and the reading is from Hélène Cixous' "Laugh of the Medusa."
Hélène Cixous was born in Algeria in 1937 and her work is influenced by the hybrid city and diverse cultures she grew up in.
Cixous' parents were refugees and her mother was a midwife known as the "Arabs midwife" in Algiers.
Midwives faced persecution and were expelled from Algiers in 1971 as part of the Inquisition.
Cixous will discuss the role and perception of midwives in her work.

Hélène Cixous: A Life of Irony and Paradox

Hélène Cixous's own writing was born in Algeria, where she experienced a lost country of the dead father and foreign mother.
She represents an archetype of birth without violence, symbolizing a middle ground between the mother and something in-between.
Cixous's parents were refugees, leading to a lack of stable identity and script in her life.
As a French Algerian Jew and a woman, she faced cultural, national, and sexual differences, often being the only one of her kind in her class.
Cixous had a profound relationship with Jacques Derrida, the founder of post-structuralism and deconstruction, which heavily influenced her own writing.
She was actively involved in the student and workers strikes in Paris in May 1968 and played a crucial role in creating Paris 8, a new experimental university.
Cixous also provided a platform for exiled Latin American writers, demonstrating her commitment to solidarity and inclusivity.

Clarice Lispector and her Contributions to Literature

Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian writer who incorporated various writers into her work, such as Jayaraj Jeanette, Stetson Todorov, Michel Foucault, and more.
She launched a journal called "Poetic" and started the first doctoral program in women's studies in Europe in 1974.
Lispector was a theorist, literary critic, philosopher, playwright, feminist, and novelist.
She gave herself the poet's right to speak and considered herself a religiously atheistic but literally deistic writer.
Lispector is known for her concept of "écriture féminine" or women's writing, which explores the complexities of femininity and masculinity.
One of her notable essays is "The Laugh of the Medusa," which is widely studied in feminist theory and criticism.

The Myth of Medusa: From Beauty to Curse

Medusa, originally known as a beautiful and desired woman, was one of the three Gorgon sisters.
According to Hesiod, Medusa had sexual relations with Poseidon in a meadow of spring flowers.
Ovid's version states that Medusa was violated by Poseidon in Athena's shrine, with Athena turning away in disgust.
As a punishment, Athena transformed Medusa's lovely hair into loathsome snakes.
Medusa, now a repulsive creature, fled her home and became feared and shunned by the rest of the world.
Medusa's despair led her to Africa, where snakes dropped from her hair, turning the continent into a home for venomous reptiles.
Athena's curse upon Medusa caused anyone who gazed upon her to turn into stone.
Perseus, at an Ethiopian wedding, tells the story of how he killed Medusa by beheading her.

Analysis of "The Laugh of the Medusa" and Women's Writing

The myth of Medusa and Perseus is discussed, including the role of Athena and the birth of Pegasus.
The essay "The Laugh of the Medusa" focuses on women's writing and the need for women to write about themselves and their experiences.
It challenges the notion of a general or typical woman, emphasizing the individuality and richness of women's experiences.
The essay rejects essentialist views of femininity and explores the diversity of women's imaginations.
The author recounts a powerful encounter with a woman who shared her unique world and the creative exploration of her body and sexuality.
The essay highlights the importance of women's pleasure, self-expression, and artistic creation.

The Power of Women's Writing and Resisting Societal Norms.

Writing is a form of expression and empowerment for women.
Women's bodies and desires have often been suppressed and shamed in society.
Little girls are conditioned to forget their innate power and conform to societal expectations.
Women should reclaim their bodies and voice through writing and self-expression.
The history of writing is intertwined with the history of reason in Western culture.
Women should embrace their strength and resist societal norms in order to create their own narratives.

The Critique of Phallocentric Traditions and the Importance of Writing and Embodying the Self

Derrida's concept of logo centrism critiques the privileging of spoken word over written word in Western culture.
Succeed expands on Derrida's concept and argues that this domination by the word extends to the phallus and masculine power.
Succeed emphasizes the importance of the body being heard, which challenges the denigration of the body in Western thought.
Descartes' famous statement "Cogito ergo sum" reflects the prioritization of the mind over the body in Western philosophy.
Succeed urges women to start with their bodies and writes against the body being denied and defiled in Western culture.
Writing and embodying the self allows for the realization of a woman's relation to her sexuality and access to her native strength.
By analyzing and illuminating her body, a woman can reclaim her pleasures, organs, and bodily territories that have been kept under seal.

Women's Empowerment through Language and Writing

Women should break the silence and embrace their voice in written and oral language.
Speaking in public is considered a daring feat and a transgression for women.
Language has been governed by the male perspective, making it challenging for women to be heard.
By writing and speaking from and towards women, women can challenge the patriarchal norms and claim their place in society.
Women have a unique relationship with their voice and writing, influenced by their connection to the mother's body.
Women's speech and writing hold the power to move and resonate deeply with others.
Women should embrace their bodies as a means of expression and enter the discourse with their own unique perspective.
Writing as a woman allows for the inclusion of personal experiences, emotions, and desires.
The mother figure plays a significant role in women's writing and provides nourishment and support.
Women's style of writing is influenced by the mother's presence and the desire for connection and unity.
Women possess a force that stands against separation and nurtures relationships.
Writing allows women to inscribe their experiences and express their womanhood.

Analysis of "Woman unthink" by unknown author.

The text explores the idea of womanhood as a process of becoming and a history of liberation.
It emphasizes the need for women to envision a future beyond just modifying power relations.
The goal is to bring about a mutation in human relations and thought, transforming society at a fundamental level.
The new history that women are creating extends beyond men's imagination and threatens to dismantle their oppressive systems.
The text discusses the myth of Medusa and how it can be reinterpreted and rewritten to empower women.
The concept of a palimpsest is used as a metaphor for writing over and reclaiming existing narratives.
The text encourages readers to embrace and celebrate the body of a woman as a powerful symbol of resistance and transformation.

Description of an artistic expression using metaphors and sensory experiences.

The artistic expression focuses on the use of metaphors that are slow, open, and dynamic.
It explores the idea of using milk white ink, which cannot be seen but experienced through other senses like smell and taste.
The writing is described as a song, connected with bodies and their beats and rhythms.

Fall semester classes at University of Philosophical Research and the role of women's writing in "The Laugh of the Medusa" by Hélène Cixous.

University of Philosophical Research offers online classes starting on October 8th.
Fall semester classes include short story writing, world religions, psychology, and more.
Classes are taught by graduates of Pacific Graduate Institute.
Current class focuses on French literary theory with readings from Hélène Cixous' "Laugh of the Medusa."
Hélène Cixous was born in Algeria in 1937 and her work is influenced by her diverse cultural background.
Cixous will discuss the role and perception of midwives in her work.
Cixous had a profound relationship with Jacques Derrida and played a crucial role in creating Paris 8, a new experimental university.
Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian writer known for her concept of "écriture féminine" or women's writing.
Lispector's essay "The Laugh of the Medusa" explores the need for women to write about themselves and challenges essentialist views of femininity.
The essay emphasizes the importance of women's pleasure, self-expression, and artistic creation through writing.
Women should reclaim their bodies and voice through writing and resist societal norms to create their own narratives.

Succeed's Critique of Western Culture and the Power of Women's Writing.

Derrida's concept of logo centrism challenges the privileging of spoken word over written word in Western culture.
Succeed expands on Derrida's concept and argues that this domination by the word extends to the phallus and masculine power.
Succeed emphasizes the importance of the body being heard, challenging the denigration of the body in Western thought.
Descartes' famous statement "Cogito ergo sum" reflects the prioritization of the mind over the body in Western philosophy.
Succeed urges women to start with their bodies and writes against the body being denied and defiled in Western culture.
Writing and embodying the self allows for the realization of a woman's relation to her sexuality and access to her native strength.
By analyzing and illuminating her body, a woman can reclaim her pleasures, organs, and bodily territories that have been kept under seal.