THE INTERTEXTUAL ASPECT AND FEMINIST CRITIQUE OF U.S. POWER IN WENDY WASSERSTEIN’S PLAY “AMERICAN DAUGHTER”

Abstract

The paper explores the intertextual aspect of Wendy Wasserstein’s play “American Daughter” (1997) in the context of feminist criticism of US power at the end of the 20th century. The study focuses on identifying and interpreting the intertextual connections between the dramatic text and real political and media events, primarily the so-called “Nannygate” scandal, which influenced the formation of public and political discourse in the 1990s. The study analyzes how Wendy Wasserstein’s use of political and media intertextuality enables her artistic interpretation of the mechanisms of institutional and symbolic control that function in relation to women in the sphere of state power. Particular attention is paid to the role of intertextuality as a structuring principle of the play, through which the private history of the character acquires a generalized socio-political meaning. The article shows that intertextual references to legal and media discourses function as an instrument of feminist criticism, revealing gender asymmetry in the public sphere and the selectivity of mechanisms of political accountability. The methodological basis of the study is the provisions of the theory of intertextuality and feminist literary criticism, which allows us to consider play “American Daughter” as a form of political expression aimed at deconstructing notions of the gender neutrality of the American democratic system. The results obtained expand the interpretive potential of the play and can be used in further research on contemporary American drama, political theater, and gender studies.