Elaine Showalter's A Literature of Their Own is an academic monograph and work of literary criticism. As such, it exhibits particular characteristics to which readers should pay close attention. First, an academic monograph is a scholarly work that focuses on professional research about a topic. Scholars usually hone in on some aspect of a topic and make a claim about it. They then develop the claim throughout the monograph, using an authoritative voice, solid evidence, and strong reasoning.

In this case, Showalter's topic is women's literature. Still, to keep her work within reasonable limits, she narrows her topic to British women's novelists from the 1840s to her era (the book was first published in 1977). 

Showalter's primary claim is that these women writers have yet to receive enough scholarly attention, and the picture of their efforts has been skewed to focus on only a few significant authors like George Eliot or Virginia Woolf. To get a fuller picture of women's writing, Showalter proposes to examine the "'lost' works by women writers" and the lesser-known writers themselves. They, too, made contributions to women's literature.

To support her claim and fulfill her purpose, Showalter uses primarily expository and descriptive writing. Expository writing introduces something new or relatively unknown, while descriptive writing gets into the specific details in such a way as to present a thorough picture of the topic. 

For example, Showalter "exposes" lesser-known women writers and lesser-known details about more famous writers. She introduces her readers to women like Elizabeth Sewell and Mary E. Braddon. She discusses both their lives and their writing in great detail. She describes who these women were, talks about the motives behind their writing, and analyzes the plots and themes of their works.

Showalter also uses expository and descriptive writing when she discusses the movements that influenced women writers. She presents both sides of the suffrage movement, for instance, so that readers receive a balanced view. She explores the female aesthetic with the same even-handed treatment, presenting its positive and negative aspects. Indeed, Showalter's clear claim, effective use of expository and descriptive writing, and balanced approach give her an authoritative voice. She knows what she is talking about, and readers can take her seriously.

Her consistent use of solid evidence enhances Showalter's authoritative voice. The author draws her evidence from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources come from the women writers or their contemporaries and include literary works, letters, journals, critiques, and other such documents. 

Secondary sources are what other scholars write about women novelists. When Showalter discusses Olive Schreiner, for instance, she refers directly to the writer's novels, quoting and analyzing them. She also draws from Schreiner's letters. These are primary sources. Her secondary sources include other works of literary criticism that present varying views of Schreiner and exciting details about her life and work.

As a scholar, Showalter relies on her strong reasoning abilities to mold her claim and evidence into one narrative that enlightens and convinces readers. Showalter's close reasoning appears, for instance, when she disputes the ideas of other scholars. In her chapter on Virginia Woolf, the author acknowledges the normal critical acclaim for Woolf and her "androgynous vision." Still, then she explores how that vision played out in reality. 

While androgyny is "attractive," she reasons, "like all utopian ideals androgyny lacks zest and energy." She then proceeds to show how Woolf's vision of androgyny led her into isolation and misery, for the writer could not access the depths of the female experience or live them meaningfully. Showalter carefully reasons her argument throughout the chapter to convince readers that androgyny turned...