Conclusions
Erica Jong’s woman artist is caught in a transitional period of American culture when the myth of the eternal woman is no longer valid and the new patterns of the contemporary myth of women artists are just gaining momentum. Throughout the narrative Erica Jong is re-creating this transition between the addicted and non-addicted lifestyle of Leila Sand.
Thus this essay’s major concern was to elaborate on the various images, key words, de/mythologemas, metaphors... by which Erica Jong is visualising this transition. Leila Sand is struggling to transcend all the obstacles - personal, sexual, social and professional. This results in a fierce ‘obstacle race’ with a number of obsessions for Leila Sand. Besides the haunting fear of flying the woman artist is struggling with a new female fear - fear of diving which is the outrageous price any creative woman still needs to pay.
We have realized that Erica Jong’s specific treatment of the contemporary myth presupposes the mythologization of woman artist in her lifetime. Leila Sand is therefore viewed not only as an avid follower of her own role models but rather as a myth and a role model in her different facets - as a lover, a public figure, a mother, and an artist. Jong is quite positive in raising the profile of a Ms Have-it-all who cherishes with an equal zeal all her achievements - works of art, men, children, her sane mind. With a close eye on contemporary women artists profile we became assured that Leila’s rage to live and work is far from the feminists’ misconception to ban sexuality from artists’ approach to life. Leila’s persistent blend of art and love in her works, art periods and views has convinced us that women artists value life’s abundance without excluding any traditionally banned features.
Unsurprisingly the narrative’s emphasis is on the tremendous skills for creativity of contemporary women artists. We have argued that Erica Jong’s creative woman has gained the right to be a fierce artist, an established celebrity but she is still denied the right to enjoy her outstanding success without any guilt and self-sabotage feelings. Those bitter feelings conjure up the extraordinary character of a mad, lonely, outcasted woman artist who does not belong to the conservative world of New Money Elite. We have understood that contemporary women artists need their sacred land of art, their natural habitat of a studio to work in privacy.
Copyright © : Iliyana Nedkova,1996-7
N.Paradoxa : Issue No.6, 1998