Includes bibliographical references and index.

Publisher's description: With the literary canon consisting mostly o f works created by and about men, the central perspective is decidedly male. This unique reference offers alternate approaches to reading trad itional literature, as well as suggestions for expanding the canon to i nclude more gender sensitive works. Covering 96 of the most frequently taught works of fiction, essays offer teachers, librarians, and student s fresh insights into the female perspective in literature. The list of titles, created in consultation with educators, includes classic works by male authors like Dickens, Faulkner, and Twain, balanced with works by female authors such as Kate Chopin's The Awakening and Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein. Also included are contemporary works by writers such a s Alice Walker and Margaret Atwood that are being incorporated into the curriculum, as well as those advancing a more global view, such as San dra Cisneros' House on Mango Street and Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apa rt. The essays are expertly written in an accessible language that will help students gain greater awareness of gender-related themes. Suggest ions for classroom discussions--with selected works for further study-- are incorporated into the entries. The volume is organized alphabetical ly by title and includes both author and subject indexes. An appendix o f gender-related themes further enhances this volume's usefulness for c urriculum applications and student research projects.

Electronic reproduction. Boulder, Colo. : NetLibrary, 2005. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to NetLibrar y affiliated libraries.