“Conversations” by Hélène Cixous: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous

“Conversations” by Hélène Cixous first appeared in the year 1975 as part of her collection The Newly Born Woman (La Jeune Née), co-authored with Catherine Clément. This seminal work marks a critical moment in feminist literary theory and philosophy, encapsulating Cixous’s pioneering thoughts on écriture féminine, the concept of a distinct feminine writing style that challenges patriarchal structures within language and literature. The article’s importance in literature and literary theory lies in its radical approach to deconstructing traditional gender binaries and offering a new framework for understanding the intersection of gender, identity, and textuality. Cixous’s exploration of voice, silence, and the body in writing has influenced a wide array of disciplines, from literary criticism to psychoanalysis, and continues to resonate in contemporary feminist discourse.

Summary of “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous

1. Theory as a Tool, Not an Idol: Helene Cixous emphasizes that theory should not be treated as a rigid framework or an end in itself. Instead, it should be used as a tool to enhance understanding and advance further. She warns against the tendency to idolize theory, as it can hinder rather than help in the pursuit of knowledge. Cixous believes that by using theoretical instruments as aids, we can give theory its rightful place without repressing or obliterating it.
2. Beyond Representation and Expression: Cixous argues that texts are not merely representations or expressions of reality. They go beyond these categories, conveying meanings that are often unintended or unconscious. She criticizes the prevailing trend in France, which focused solely on non-meaning and formal analysis, leading to limited reading practices. Cixous emphasizes that texts have a deeper significance and should not be reduced to their surface level.
3. The Importance of the Unconscious: Despite Freud’s misogynistic views, Cixous acknowledges the value of his work on the unconscious. She believes that the unconscious plays a crucial role in understanding texts and human behavior. While psychoanalysis can be a helpful tool, it has limitations, and Cixous emphasizes the importance of going beyond its confines.
4. The Meeting of Strangenesses: Cixous views texts as encounters with strangeness, whether it stems from their language or content. She believes that what binds us together is our belief in preserving the essence of each strangeness. The meeting of strangenesses can be seen as a journey or a blessing, opening up new perspectives and understanding.
5. The Work of Love: Cixous emphasizes that understanding others requires a deep engagement with their language and imagination. This process is akin to the work of love between human beings, involving empathy, openness, and a willingness to enter the other’s world. Translation, in particular, is seen as a labor of love, aiming to preserve the essence of the original language while conveying its meaning.
6. The Journey of the Text: Cixous likens reading a text to a journey with various stages: the pre-journey, the imaginary journey, the first encounter, and the discovery. She believes that the reader must actively engage with all these stages to fully understand and appreciate the text.
7. The Importance of Love and Bodily Relationship: Cixous stresses the significance of love in reading. She believes that a bodily relationship exists between the reader and the text, and that love for the text is essential for effective engagement. The text can be seen as a living entity, a human and earthly cosmos, demanding a close and intimate connection from the reader.
8. The Mystery of Human Being: Cixous explores the profound mystery of human beings, including the role of sexual difference. She emphasizes that difference transcends labels and is present in all expressions and creations. Bereavement and benediction are central themes in human experience, shaping our understanding of life and loss.
9. The Power of Language: Cixous views language as a translation that speaks through the body. Each person’s language is unique, influenced by their experiences and embodied existence. She believes that the message in a text is crucial for its value and that language has the power to convey profound truths and emotions.
10. The Ethical Relation to Reality: Cixous believes that texts should establish an ethical relation to reality. She defines poetry as “philosophic singing,” combining reason and overflowing, and emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between the political world and the poetic world.
11. The Power of the Text: Cixous acknowledges the power of texts to bear witness to suffering and political reality. She believes that while those who have not experienced extreme hardship cannot fully understand the experiences of others, they can make an effort to empathize and find appropriate ways to express their outrage and solidarity.
12. The Importance of the Other: Cixous emphasizes the centrality of the other in the creative process. The author must disappear to allow the other to appear, and the other is essential for the creation of meaning. She acknowledges the narcissistic tendencies that writers may have at the beginning of their journey but stresses the importance of overcoming them to make space for the other.
13. The Power of Change: Cixous believes in the power of change and reinvention. She emphasizes that while the fundamental truths may remain constant, our ways of saying them evolve, leading to new expressions and understandings. She admires the richness of the human imagination and its ability to produce innovative and meaningful ways of conveying these truths.

Literary Terms/Concepts in “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous

Literary Concept/Device	Definition	Example from the Article
Écriture Féminine	A concept that advocates for a distinct style of writing that reflects the female experience, challenging patriarchal norms.	Cixous discusses the importance of “loving the text” and the bodily relationship between reader and text, emphasizing a feminine approach to textual analysis.
Deconstruction	A critical approach that dismantles traditional binary oppositions and reveals the multiplicity of meanings within texts.	Cixous critiques the idolization of theory, arguing that it should not confine interpretation but be traversed to uncover deeper meanings beyond formal structures.
Psychoanalysis	The exploration of the unconscious mind, often used in literary theory to analyze underlying meanings and motivations in texts.	Cixous references Freud, noting that while texts can be analyzed psychoanalytically, they also possess a “poetically beyond” that escapes such analysis.
Intertextuality	The shaping of a text’s meaning by another text, through referencing, borrowing, or transforming prior works.	Cixous mentions how poets like Celan and Lispector contribute to the seminar’s discussions, linking their works with psychoanalysis and other literary traditions.
Multiplicity of Language	The coexistence of multiple languages or voices within a text, each contributing to its richness and complexity.	The seminar’s approach to embracing the “multiplicity of languages” as a blessing rather than a curse, recognizing the diverse meanings that different languages offer.
Formalism	A literary approach that emphasizes the formal elements of a text, such as structure and style, often at the expense of meaning.	Cixous criticizes the formalist trend in French universities that focuses purely on the structural level of texts, neglecting their deeper messages.
Representation and Expression	The act of depicting reality or conveying emotions in a text; often critiqued for oversimplifying the complexities of meaning.	Cixous argues that a text is beyond mere representation or expression, as it always conveys more than the author intends, challenging the traditional notions of both.
Translation as Creation	The process of translating a text not just as a linguistic task but as an act of preserving and reinterpreting its essence and strangeness.	Cixous describes translating a text as a journey to the “country of the text,” where one must bring back its essence, acknowledging the differences inherent in language.
Mystery of Human Being	The exploration of human identity, sexuality, and difference, particularly in relation to how these are inscribed and expressed in texts.	The seminar examines how texts reflect the mystery of being human, including the inscription of sexual difference and the transcendence of gender binaries in writing.
Historical Context	Understanding the temporal and cultural background of a text, which shapes its creation and interpretation.	Cixous reflects on how writing cannot be detached from its time, as seen in her discussion of how one cannot write like Kleist in the modern era.

Contribution of “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous to Literary Theory/Theories

Examples of Critiques Through “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous

Literary Work	Critique Through “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theories	Cixous critiques the feminist rejection of Freud, arguing that dismissing his work as misogynistic ignores the foundational role psychoanalysis plays in understanding the unconscious. She suggests using Freud’s theories as tools for deeper textual analysis while recognizing their limitations.
Paul Celan’s Poetry	Cixous uses Celan’s poetry to illustrate the concept of “the poetically beyond,” where a text transcends psychoanalytic and philosophical interpretation. She emphasizes the importance of reading Celan not just formally but by engaging with the emotional and existential depth of his work.
Clarice Lispector’s The Hour of the Star	Cixous praises Lispector’s ability to transform herself in her writing, highlighting the “otherness” and strangeness that Lispector preserves in her text. She sees Lispector’s work as an example of how to create space for the “other” in literature, challenging the boundaries of gender and identity.
Heinrich von Kleist’s Fiction	Cixous critiques the attempt to replicate Kleist’s style in modern writing, arguing that it would be anachronistic and merely a reconstruction. She suggests that modern writers must acknowledge the changes in language and consciousness brought about by psychoanalysis and linguistic theory.

Criticism Against “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous

1. Elitism in Theoretical Approach: Critics argue that Cixous’s writing is highly abstract and inaccessible to general readers, favoring an intellectual elite familiar with dense theoretical discourse.
2. Ambiguity and Lack of Clarity: The text is often criticized for its complex and sometimes ambiguous language, which can obscure the core arguments and make it difficult for readers to fully grasp her ideas.
3. Overemphasis on Feminine Writing: Some critics contend that Cixous’s focus on écriture féminine risks reinforcing gender binaries by essentializing the differences between male and female writing.
4. Insufficient Engagement with Political Realities: While Cixous addresses the intersection of politics and literature, critics argue that her work sometimes lacks concrete engagement with real-world political issues, leaning too heavily on theoretical abstraction.

Suggested Readings: “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous

1. Sellers, Susan, editor. Writing Differences: Readings from the Seminar of Hélène Cixous. Open University Press, 1988.
2. Cixous, Hélène, and Catherine Clément. The Newly Born Woman. Translated by Betsy Wing, University of Minnesota Press, 1986.
3. Conley, Verena Andermatt. Hélène Cixous: Writing the Feminine. University of Nebraska Press, 1984.
4. Sellers, Susan. Hélène Cixous: Authorship, Autobiography and Love. Polity Press, 1996.

Representative Quotations from “Conversations” by Hélène Cixous with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“We are not idolaters though neither are we ignorant.”	Cixous emphasizes the importance of using theory as a tool, not as an object of worship.
“A text is neither representation nor expression.”	Cixous challenges traditional views of texts as mere representations or expressions of reality, arguing that they are more complex and multifaceted.
“The text is always more than the author wants to express or believes s/he expresses.”	Cixous highlights the unconscious and unintended meanings that can be found within texts.
“We have had to do battle against that.”	Cixous refers to the struggle against the institutionalization of theory as an end in itself in France.
“A text is always more than the author wants to express or believes s/he expresses.”	Cixous emphasizes the unconscious and unintended meanings that can be found within texts.
“This is the point I write from. It makes itself read. It doesn’t run through everything because I’m also a human being.”	Cixous reflects on the intersection of her personal identity and her writing, acknowledging the influence of her gender and experiences.
“The differences inscribe themselves in whatever is born from us.”	Cixous highlights the pervasive nature of difference, arguing that it is present in all aspects of human existence.
“There is a feminine style of writing, a feminine way of thinking, a feminine way of seeing the world.”	Cixous advocates for a unique feminine écriture, challenging patriarchal norms and promoting women’s voices in literature.
“We work on the mystery of human being, including the fact that humans are sexed beings, that there is sexual difference, and that these differences manifest themselves, write themselves in texts.”	Cixous emphasizes the importance of exploring the complexities of human identity, including gender and sexuality.
“The text opens up a path which is already ours and yet not altogether ours….”	Cixous suggests that texts can both reflect and challenge our own experiences and understanding.