Abstract

This study develops a broad historical and critical basis for a postmodern feminist depth psychological hermeneutic of embodiment by establishing a lineage of considering embodiment from the points of view of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jacques Lacan, and their feminist critics, tempered by depth psychology and its own feminist critique. The argument of the study is that Beatrice’s body is of crucial importance in Dante’s Commedia. After an exploration of how embodiment is central to the theme of Dante’s work, a rich literature review reveals that Beatrice’s body has been effectively ignored by critics for the past 800 years. An exploration of the Vita Nuova and Commedia offers insight into how Beatrice, historically assumed by critics to be a disembodied spirit, uses her body to communicate with Dante throughout the texts, and a depth psychological reading highlights the importance of the archetypal in these instances.

Presenters

Colleen S. Harris
Head of Instruction, Engagement, & Assessment, Broome Library, California State University Channel Islands, California, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Literary Humanities

KEYWORDS

Embodiment, Literature, Dante Alighieri, Beatrice, Feminism, Depth Psychology, Archetypes

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