Writing in no-man's land: Women, war, and literature

Resumo

The relationship between war and women is characterized by the exclusion of women, who, relegated to the margins of the systems of power and government, are historically deprived of participation in the decisions, actions, and representations related to conflicts. This article discusses the destabilization of this view, described by Adrienne Rich as "the archaic idea of women as a 'home front,'" in face of the total wars and feminist movements of the twentieth century. It also proposes new ways of thinking the divergent place from which women write war literature and contribute to that dismantlement. Finally, it points out remaining traces of the idea Rich denounces, which suggest the reproduction of hierarchies within the area of the literature of war written by women and indicate the necessity of expanding the borders of this field and its study.