LITERATURE AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE: PARENTING, NEOLIBERALISM, AND LYNN STEGER STRONG’S WANT

To displace a paradigm within the philosophy of literature that monopolizes attempts to establish a connection between literature and social criticism—such is the aim of this essay. The paradigm is that literature uniquely conveys injustice, thereby complementing thematic reflection. To this purpose, I hope to add to the philosophy of literature’s toolbox “eudaemonistic” readings, which explore how economic circumstances occasion unhappiness. My context is neoliberalism, and my example Lynn Steger Strong’s Want. Focusing on parenting, privilege, and discovering the limits of nonconformist self-authorship, Want offers a particularly apt demonstration of social criticism untethered to injustice.