Subjectivity is a multiple and complex term; it moves between theoretical or philosophical abstractions and the apparently empirical evidence of lived experience. In Subjectivity, Ruth Robbins examines the diverse factors which shape the self in language. Through readings of autobiographical texts written during the last three centuries, Robbins argues for a concept of subjectivity that takes account of the material world in which selves come into being, and places this psychoanalytic concept in a broader theoretical framework. This book is essential reading for all those studying Autobiography or Autobiographical Writing.