Female rage

by Mary Valentis

In Female Rage, Mary Valentis and Anne Devane, both professors of literature, confront rage head-on, explaining why it is epidemic among women, why women need to acknowledge it, and how they can use it to empower their lives. Drawing on examples from mythology (particularly the myth of Medusa), literature, and film, as well as interviews with women and psychotherapists, Valentis and Devane let readers know that rage is a part of every woman's experience. Beginning with the rage of the little girl who perceives that being male confers privilege and moving on to the young woman who hides her feelings behind the mask of a pretty face, the authors discuss the all-too-common dependency among women that leads to victimization in relationships. And they explain how innocence and gullibility sow the seeds of rage. . The authors also discuss the physical and emotional problems, such as depression, anorexia, and bulimia, that result when rage is turned inward. They talk about the tendency to lab