ABSTRACT
In the twenty-first century the discourses of choice and agency have animated feminist debates. Indeed, many feminist critics have highlighted the significance of these tropes in the context of post(-)feminisms and neoliberalism. In using the term “post(-)feminism”, this chapter acknowledges the multiple meanings associated with the term. Thus, “post(-)feminism” refers to both the postfeminist approach to gender and sexuality which aligns itself with postmodern and poststructuralist thinking, as well as the post-feminist tendencies more commonly affiliated with backlash theories and notions of women’s sexual liberation in the twenty-first century. This nuanced recognition of differences between these two terms is especially important in the context of neoliberalism, given neoliberalism’s perpetuation of rational self-interest as autonomously achieved and devoid of situational context. The tropes of choice and agency, therefore, are a site of coming together for feminist politics and neoliberal discourses. While Angela McRobbie views these tropes as “inextricably connected with the category of ‘young women’ [meaning] feminism is decisively aged” (2004: 255), Rosalind Gill has argued that more than men, “women are required to work on and transform the self, to regulate every aspect of their conduct, and to present all their actions as freely chosen” (2008: 443). Moreover, Shelley Budgeon positions this increasing focus on autonomy and choice as key descriptors for “contemporary ideals of femininity” (2011: 131). In light of such observations, this chapter considers the ways in which British women short story writers negotiate the competing discourses of contemporary feminisms through their exploration of women’s femininity and sexuality. In the process, this chapter foregrounds the politics of choice and agency and thereby engages with a key site of contemporary feminist discourse.
