Hillary Clinton’s Living History (2003) and Michelle Obama’s Becoming (2018): Two First Ladies in the Public and Private Spaces
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Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou
Abstract
This piece of research falls within comparative literature. It compares and contrasts the ‘private’ and ‘public’ spaces in the lives of two First Ladies’ autobiographies namely Hillary Clinton’s Living History (2003) and Michelle Obama’s Becoming (2018). Our study relies on the German philosopher Jȕrgen Habermas’ concepts of ‘private’ and ‘public’ spaces as he develops them in his: The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a category of Bourgeois Society (1962). This dissertation focuses mainly on the representation of First Lady Hillary Clinton’s and Michelle Obama’s public and private spaces in their respective autobiographies. The purpose is to discuss in two chapters the extent to which the two First Ladies are similar or different from each other in their lives and contributions. One of the basic findings of this research is that while in the public space First Lady Clinton’s contributions are more considerable, in the private sphere however, First Lady Obama remains more accomplished and lived happier not through what she writes in her autobiography, but even in eyes of the public opinion. Clinton and Obama also had a significant impact on redefining the role of First Ladies from only wives and mothers to powerful women who can make a change and effectively impact the world.
Description
63p. ; 30cm.(+CD-Rom)
Keywords
Autobiography, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Jürgen Habermas Private Sphere, Public Sphere
Citation
Literature and Interdisciplinary Approaches