What does this research mean for the field?

Rachel Cusk's 'A Life's Work' transcends traditional autobiography by incorporating autofictional elements to philosophically examine the societal positioning and transformation of female subjectivity during motherhood. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONTRADICTORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the literary classification of Rachel Cusk's A Life’s Work and examine the social and philosophical dynamics of maternal subjectivity.

August 29, 2026Life Writing

The Death and Birth of Subjectivity in Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work: On Becoming a Mother

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To evaluate the literary classification of Rachel Cusk's A Life’s Work and examine the social and philosophical dynamics of maternal subjectivity.
Conducted a textual and genre analysis differentiating autobiography from autofiction within Cusk's work.
Applied philosophical and theoretical frameworks from Luce Irigaray and Michel Foucault to examine female and maternal positioning in society.
Demonstrated that the text moves beyond traditional autobiographical memoir into the domain of autofiction.
Identified that maternal subjectivity is fundamentally mediated and constrained by societal power dynamics and gendered expectations.

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Implication

Critical analysis reveals the emergence of autofiction and maternal subjectivity in Rachel Cusk's memoir, highlighting how societal structures reshape female identity.

Cite This Study

Andrea Rehberg (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9299088e5d7d1fc0c10c44 https://doi.org/10.1080/14484528.2026.2718294

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Implication

Critical analysis reveals the emergence of autofiction and maternal subjectivity in Rachel Cusk's memoir, highlighting how societal structures reshape female identity.

The Death and Birth of Subjectivity in Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work: On Becoming a Mother

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Implication

Cite This Study

The Death and Birth of Subjectivity in Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work: On Becoming a Mother

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study