The politics of gynotopia imperial rape and female retreat /

by Kelley, Rhonda L.

This dissertation examines the phenomena of all-female communities from ancient Roman to twentieth century English and French Literatures. I am especially interested in the seemingly inevitable disentigration of the community as a result of male interference. I combine an eco-feminist theoretical approach, yielding an understanding of the all-female community as an archetypal representation of the mother-daughter relationship, and a Marxist feminist approach, focusing on male intrusion as a metaphor for imperialism.