Twórczość Tatiany Tołstoj w kontekście prozy kobiecej i badań genderowych

Abstract

In the present article there is discussed the issue of belonging the writings of a contemporary Russian authoress Tatyana Tolstaya to women’s prose, as well as whether it is legitimate to analyze them by using interpretive categories from the field of gender studies, such as: femininity, corporeality, gender identity of characters, or gender transvestitism. It appears that behaviour of some of the Tolstaya’s characters, and also the way they perceive reality makes their gender identity complex and amplifies their internal conflict concerning sexuality. The author of the article, keeping in mind Tolstaya’s declarations and constantly protesting against identifying the authoress’ work with the women’s prose (which existence is, by the way, questioned by Tolstaya herself), analyzing chosen short stories (Петерс, Милая Шура, Круг), points to their doubtless kinship with women’s literature. The above-mentioned thesis is supported by numerous works of scholars and critics of writings by the authoress of The Slynx/Kys.