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"The City Jilt" as Mother of Sex and the City?: The Legacy of Haywood and
Austen as Mothers of Chick Lit

Topic: In Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennett joyfully exclaims over a
hat that her sisters find ugly, "I may as well buy it as not." In
Confessions of a Shopaholic, Becky Bloomwood espouses a similar
philosophy, defining herself through items she may as well buy. The
popularity of chick lit has led many to attempt to find the origin of the
genre, and Austen is usually heralded (or berated) as its mother.
However Eliza Haywood should also be included in a history of chick lit,
as she is beginning to be included in the history of the novel. Both
authors validated love and relationships, and both taught their readers
the business practices of marriage. Similarly, novels like Sophie
Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Helen Fielding's Bridget
Jones' Diary explore the new negotiations between finance and romance
that women face. The novels of Austen and Haywood and those of their
literary descendents offer (albeit briefly) friendships, careers, and
success as alternatives to marriage.

This panel will explore the heritage of Austen and Haywood through the
chick lit genre.

Suggested topics:

      â€¢ Elements from Austen and Haywood novels which have become staples
        in chick lit

      â€¢ Treatment of sexuality and female fantasy

      â€¢ Fantasies beyond sex – shopping, food, friends, and limitless
credit cards

      â€¢ Chick lit as sublimation of revenge fantasy

Proposals to Jessica Lyn Van Slooten dharmagirl_at_mindspring.com

see http://www.auburn.edu/academic/societies/seasecs/ for more
information on the SEASECS conference

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Received on Thu Sep 06 2007 - 10:02:49 EDT