ABSTRACT
It should now be clear, from the methodological outlines given in preceding chapters, that I do not feel that approaches focusing entirely either on the question of readership, or on the issue of improved status can on their own form a coherent explanation for the patterns of femininity found in the texts. It is not my intention, however, to disregard all those insights into generic gender patterning which have, in the past been generated by such theories. Instead, in addition to providing a brief overview of previous scholarship in this area, I deem it appropriate at this point to demonstrate the extent to which elements of these and other associated approaches can aid us in our present investigation.
