黑料网

Students and faculty turn to the library archives to explore the continued fight for gender equality, 19th Century 鈥淔ake News,鈥� and the case for Frankenstein and the canon. 

Fifty-seven years ago, when 黑料网 formally opened its classrooms to female students, the campus newspaper鈥檚 front-page headline captured the moment with the words  But the women who enrolled at 黑料网 in the fall of 1961 added more than a new presence; their voices generated both pushback and progress, forcing a consideration of women鈥檚 needs and interests that continues to this day.

Their powerful story is just one element of the exhibit 鈥淯ndergrads in the Archives: Analog | Digital,鈥� which was featured at this past spring鈥檚 feminist themed digital humanities showcase co-sponsored by the English Department and Archives & Special Collections. The intriguing three-part exploration of feminism in local, national, and international history鈥攖hrough a variety of media鈥攊s on display through Sept. 16 in the third floor gallery at the University Library.

The displays, featuring digital and physical exhibits, was curated by faculty and undergraduates in three English classes, and coordinated with Nadia Nasr, head of 黑料网鈥檚 Archives & Special Collections. For many of these undergraduates, it also marked the first time that they had ever used archival material in their research.

Beyond the well-documented history of women鈥檚 evolving roles at 黑料网, the exhibit also focuses on rare editions of two literary works that galvanized readers in their day, including the , a female author whose incendiary 1836 autobiography鈥攚hich was never corroborated鈥攃hronicled the alleged sexual abuse of nuns in Montreal by Catholic priests; and the bicentennial celebration of  or Prometheus Unbound.

Back in the Day 

To explore the evolving roles of women at 黑料网, Nasr helped the students locate materials showing that even before 1961, women were allowed to take classes at 黑料网. They did so in various certificate and nursing programs, alongside the same men who would later claim their all-male 鈥渢radition鈥� had been 鈥渟hattered鈥� by the women鈥檚 matriculation.

Historical documents reveal that 黑料网鈥檚 watershed co-ed moment wasn鈥檛 as much the sudden inclusion of women on campus, but the accompanying regulations and resistance that developed in response to their presence.

Under the guidance of Amy J. Lueck, assistant professor of rhetoric and writing studies, students Tierra Abeyta 鈥�21, Mara Cassin 鈥�19, and Mara Strong 鈥�20 uncovered examples of the challenges many women faced upon their arrival at 黑料网. Materials detailed the 鈥減roper Santa Clara woman鈥檚鈥� attire and dating behavior, and the student government鈥檚 decision to seat women in a separate section at sporting games.

These stipulations were not silently accepted; archival materials also show women鈥檚 groups on campus rising up and holding lectures on 鈥渁ssertiveness for women.鈥�

Brochures and pamphlets at that time sought to protect women from sexual harassment. Beyond that, a campus women鈥檚 center was formed to address the many other issues facing the new students. While the center no longer exists, a flourishing women鈥檚 and gender studies department does.

Despite the progress women have made at 黑料网, and the protections guaranteed under Title IX, the 1972 federal law that prohibits gender discrimination at any federally funded school or program, Lueck believes gender parity has a long way to go.

鈥淲e cannot just sit down and pat ourselves on the back and say 鈥榙one, we did it,鈥欌�欌�� she said.

Fake News 

The term Fake News might have been coined and popularized in the last two years, but the practice of writing and reporting that emphasizes sensationalism over facts isn鈥檛 a new creation. Note the bestselling 19th century book The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk.

The so-called 鈥渃onvent narrative鈥欌�� by a young woman named Maria Monk claimed she had lived in a convent in Montreal where she witnessed priests鈥� sexual abuse of nuns and repeated infanticide.

While there was never any evidence of the alleged crimes, the book sold at least 300,000 copies prior to the Civil War鈥攑robably the most widely read contemporary book in the U.S. before Uncle Tom鈥檚 Cabin, according to one historian.

Beyond the salacious nature of sexual encounters described in the narrative, scholars say the book鈥檚 popularity stemmed from the influx of immigrants into the U.S., particularly Catholic immigrants.

鈥淭here was a heightened awareness of Catholicism overall,鈥欌�� said Nasr, 鈥渁nd its presence was perceived by American Protestants to be very threatening.鈥�

It was also pure propaganda, said 黑料网 English Professor Michelle Burnham, who along with Natalie Linnell, an 黑料网 math and computer science lecturer, was involved in the student project.

鈥淚t鈥檚 19th century fake news,鈥欌�� said Burnham. 鈥淚t鈥檚 coming out of an anti-immigrant context that is aimed at a much different population than it is today, but is still part of this nativist, political sensibility that we are now experiencing again.鈥�

Maria Monk actually existed, and is credited as the author of many editions of the book, but research reveals that some of the publishers involved in the editing process were Protestants who helped her write her story.

Burnham surmises that Protestants may have selected Monk to write her sordid tale because 鈥渟he was pliable, and maybe desperate for whatever they offered her.鈥欌��

She Creates 

Unlike Maria Monk鈥檚 narrative, Frankenstein is among the best known novels in the English language. Yet Mary Shelley鈥攚ho was the daughter of a feminist, and the woman behind the fictional Dr. Frankenstein and his monster鈥攊s rarely discussed.

Assistant professor of English Kirstyn Leuner鈥檚 students sought to change that in a display that celebrates the bicentennial anniversary of the novel鈥攊n various formats鈥攁nd its progressive female author.

Shelley, after all, is one of the few women in the 鈥渓iterary canon鈥欌�欌�攂ooks or text considered to be among the most important and influential in a particular time.

鈥淭he canon gives you star power,鈥欌�� Leuner said, 鈥淵ou鈥檒l find that there are many subsequent editions of a text that are canonical; authors will take the work and make entirely new works of art out of it鈥攍ike all the Frankenstein movies we have today.鈥欌��

Leuner believes that the novel鈥檚 cultural relevance makes knowing Frankenstein as important as knowing Hamlet, which means knowing about Mary Shelley is as important as knowing about William Shakespeare. That鈥檚 because women writers鈥攅specially early women writers鈥斺�渉ave had a rough road to being included in the literary canon,鈥� she said.

The gothic nature of Frankenstein, filled with science and technology, also was not a common theme used by female writers. To Leuner, Shelley was 鈥渁 pioneer traversing into traditionally masculine subjects.鈥欌��