Sexual Politics in the English Department: A Feminist Appraisal of Death in a Tenured Position by Amanda Cross

Year 2000, Issue: 11, 15 - 20, 01.04.2000

Manju Jaidka

Abstract

The locale is the claustrophobically masculine precincts of the English Department of Harvard University. Chaos seems to break loose when the university is offered a million dollars for a professorship in the English Department, provided the holder is a woman. The professors of the department find it too tempting an offer to turn down, even if it means having a woman in their midst. Perhaps they could make the best of a bad deal and pick a woman least likely to make matters unpleasant for them. So a search committee all male, of course is appointed and the utmost care is taken to find a woman who is of a "sweet and unprejudiced nature" -- that is, a woman who is not a feminist and who will not be a threat to her worthy male colleagues.

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