Narrative warfare
The ‘careless’ reinterpretation of literary canon in online antifeminism
This article studies the use of literature and narrative strategies of online antifeminist movements. These
movements classified under the umbrella term the manosphere, wage ideological narrative warfare to endorse a
misogynistic worldview. The case at hand concentrates on the radical faction of neomasculinity and its attempts to reinterpret the
Western canon of literature. I propose that neomasculine readings of novels such as Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita are
careless interpretations that ground themselves on specific traits of the texts while ignoring others. These readings attempt to
evoke a sense of recognition in the community that believes in an alleged feminist conspiracy against men. Careless
interpretations borrow from post-truth rhetoric and the feminist literary theory tradition of reading against the grain. When
confronted over their controversial views, neomasculine figures renarrativize readings to benefit the promotion of neomasculine
perspectives. This strategic use of literature is part of the narrative warfare discussed in detail.
Article outline
- Introduction
- The manosphere’s online ecology and antifeminist narrative warfare
- Careless interpretations of neomasculine readings
- From the renarrativization of misogyny to problems of reading
- Conclusion – Real antifeminist fictions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
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