Different Scientific Views on the Boundaries of the ‘Body’ Construct

Abstract

Abstract: The article presents different points of view about the boundaries of the ‘body’ construct. The emphasis is on building the body from a theoretical point of view, presenting two main theories: the power and the feminism theory. Their essential aspects provide the tools for analysis and evaluation of the construction from a literary and philosophical perspective, with a focus on literature. After a critical review, the main postulates in both theories are derived and definitions of the body are presented. Based on the planning of the ideas about the body, the projections and the reflections that power has had on this construct, the analysis of its reaction is analysed. Examples derived from some literary, philosophical and rhetorical works are given, studying the transformations of the body. The behaviour and the different types of strategies in which the construct is applied are studied. As a result of the review, the steps that are fundamental for the process of forming the ‘body’ construct are presented. Otherness is brought out through the prism of philosophy, with the body presented in relation to the categories of freedom and writing. The body is not only a mirror of an epoch, but also a means of exercising control over situations. In literary terms, the body is presented as a site and field for raising questions about identity, belonging and freedom. The assumption is that the approach to male and female perspectives is too binary. Key words: Body, Body’s boundaries, construct, Theory of power, Theory of presence, Italian literature.