Female climbers, female writers and wives ofHimalayanmountaineers: Mountain women invariousliterary, socialand cultural contexts Cover Image

Wspinaczki, pisarki i żony himalaistów. Kobiety gór w różnych odsłonach literackich, społecznych i kulturowych
Female climbers, female writers and wives ofHimalayanmountaineers: Mountain women invariousliterary, socialand cultural contexts

Author(s): Anna Pigoń
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego
Keywords: the Alps; feminism; the Himalayas; woman; the Tatra mountains; climbing

Summary/Abstract: The author of the article seeks to answer the question of to what extent women can function in the mountain space and be regarded as “mountain women”. The question is, in fact, a complex one; the relation between women and the mountains has varied, depending on the historical period, place and cultural associations. The author demonstrates various ways of the functioning of women in the mountains as well as the roles which they have played. This is illustrated by cultural texts — narratives with women, primarily Polish women, as their authors or protagonists. The author highlights the first female conquerors of the Tatra Mountains and their emancipatory function; the post-war female Himalayan mountaineers and the impact they had on the social perception of the activity of women; as well as contemporary female climbers, who can be divided into sportswomen, wives of Himalayan mountaineers and authors of literary works. The description and analysis of the typology, enriched with literary and journalistic examples, demonstrate the multiplicity of women’s relations with high mountains.

  • Issue Year: 16/2023
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 181-198
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish