ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how Rosa Mayreder and Laura Marholm, representatives from either side of the spectrum, work at a definition of femininity which contests male norms of femininity at the time. Inspite of the different historical circumstances, Judith Butler's moral philosophy and her work on gender can help one to grasp the specific project of female articulation which Mayreder and Marholm share. Marholm's focus on eroticism is striking in light of the rather anti-sensual attitude one's will see in Mayreder. Her theory of femininity makes her develop an ethics which focuses on the relation to the other as source of fulfilment. Mayreder's persistent denial of sexuality goes hand in hand with her glorification of individualism. Within the male gender discourse of the late nineteenth century, Marholm and Mayreder can clearly be seen as doing something with what is done with them.
