Cornell and Zerilli

Drucilla Cornell’s and Linda Zerlli’s works are very compatible and complementary.  Identify and discuss at least two ways in which the themes and discussions of the two readings intersect, e.g. Zerilli on freedom and Cornell on autonomy. Also, are there any significant differences in their approaches?

I think these two articles were exceedingly difficult to comprehend. What I found quite compelling, however, was the discussion regarding feminism and women. They both took these terms and dissected their meaning within the public sphere. 

At the beginning of her article, Cornell describes feminism as an “ego ideal”. The “ego” as defined by Freud was based in personality structure (the way in which our perception allows us to understand ourselves and others). It is important to highlight that Cornell also focuses on feminism through a psychoanalytic lens which allows for this idea of “ego” to permeate. She further discusses the notion of “desire” – sexual, emotional, societal, and etc. She adds that desire is born with us.  Desire, however, can be shielded by societal expectations or societal norms. For example, the desires of a female orgasm were disregarded from public discourse or seen as something of little to no importance. Desire is also implicitly included within Zerilli’s article. She focuses on women through a rather political lens. The female orgasm is a societal discussion as much as it is a political discussion. It falls under the umbrella of the female body (which has also been hidden). I think that the term “women” (woman) is highly important in the realm of politics. Speaking for women and speaking about women.