The witch is a figure of cultural production. She is a representation of the layers of history and cultural context on the treatment, stereotyping, reception, and representation of powerful women who do not fit into patriarchal structures of power. Whether she be a symbol of women’s disempowerment or a feminist symbol of empowerment, the witch stands as a saturated figure in history, literature, art, and film. This panel is interested in the representation of the witch on a broad scale of culture -- ranging from myth to folklore, to Shakespeare, to WandaVision. The aim of this panel is to bring together a collection of papers that will overlap in the themes of the body, gender, and power. What does the witch figure in narratives represent and what does she reflect of a cultural ethos? Does a witch perpetuate stereotypes or counter them? What language and images of witches lend themselves to reading witches through a feminist lens or a positive relation of value?

Approaches for papers may include but are not limited to:

Literary Theory

Comparative Literature

World Literature

Cultural Studies and Cultural Translation

Gender Studies

Race and Ethnicity Studies

Biopolitics and Necropolitics

Embodiment

Pop-Culture Studies

Television and Film Studies

Marginality and Liminality

Abstracts for paper presentations should be 350 words and submitted to the NeMLA portal. Each selected abstract will be notified in October of acceptance.

For all inquiries and questions, please contact Forrest Johnson forrestjohnson@leeuniversity.edu.