The subject of the self is a controversial topic in many disciplines, and the added ingredient of a feminist perspective serves to increase the complexity of the debate. This article surveys various options that have been presented by women scholars in an effort to delineate what sort of self or selves is appropriate for contemporary women. These discussions are not isolated, or arbitrary, as they must take into consideration the current theories that are being presented by male scholars. In this connection, the model of hermeneutics, especially as it is related to narrative theory, has pertinent and constructive points to make. In particular the recent work of Paul Ricoeur, whose model allows for dynamism and pluralism, is evaluated. The resultant interchange is both constructive and critical, which is characteristic of most feminist interventions in mainstream male scholarship.
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