Feminist Criticism

Spring 2011

Feminism

The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Examines ways in which literature reinforces or undermines the oppression of women.

Economically Socially Politically Psychologically

Traditional Gender Roles

Patriarchy

Any culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles.

Traditional Gender Roles

Men Rational

Strong Protective Decisive

Women Emotional (irrational) Weak Nurturing Submissive

Traditional gender roles have been used successfully to justify inequities such as excluding women from equal access to leadership and decision-making positions and paying men higher wages than women for doing the same job.

Patriarchy is by definition sexist

It promotes the belief that women are innately inferior to men head of the tribe or family

 Biological

Essentialism

Belief of inborn inferiority based on biological differences between the sexes that are part of our unchanging essence as men and women
Example:

hysteria

Feminists dont deny biological differences

dont agree that differences in physical size, shape, and body chemistry make men naturally superior to women
more intelligent more logical better leaders

SEX: biological constitution as female or male

GENDER: our cultural programming as feminine or masculine

Patriarchal gender roles are destructive for men as well as women.

Traditional gender roles dictate that men are supposed to be strong:

Physically powerful Emotionally stoic

Men are not supposed to cry (considered a sign of weakness) Unmanly to show fear or pain Shouldnt express sympathy for other men

In a patriarchy, everything that concerns men usually implies something (usually negative) about women.

All behaviors forbidden to men are considered womanish (inferior, beneath dignity of manhood)

Men/boys who cry labeled as sissies (cowardly, feminine)

One of the most devastating verbal attacks for a man to be subjected to is to be compared to a woman.

REAL MAN requires that one hold feminine qualities in contempt

Homosexuality is included in list of feminine behaviors

American stereotype of typical male homosexual is effeminate (extremely feminine characteristics)

Roots of Feminism

By not giving voice and value to womens opinions, responses, and writings, men have therefore suppressed the female, defined what it means to be feminine, and thereby de-voiced, devalued, and trivialized what it means to be a woman;

Goal of Feminism

Therefore, feminisms goal is to change these degrading views of women so that all women will realize they are not a nonsignificant Other and will realize that each woman is a valuable person possessing the same privileges and rights as every man. Women must define themselves and assert their own voices in the arenas of politics, society, education, and the arts. By personally committing themselves to fostering such change, feminists hope to create a society in which not only the male but also the female voice is equally valued.

Historical Roots of Feminism

According to feminist criticism, the roots of prejudice against women have long been embedded in Western culture.

Ancient Greeks (Aristotle) The man is by nature superior, and the female inferior; and the one rules and the other is ruled. Religious leaders: Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine

Darwin (The Descent of Man 1871)

women were merely imperfect men Spiritually weak creatures Possessed a sensual nature that lures men away from spiritual truths, thereby preventing males from attaining their spiritual potential.
women are of a characteristic of a past and lower state of civilization. Are inferior to men, who are physically, intellectually, and artistically superior

Roots of Feminism

Opposition to patriarchal opinions against women was not heard of until the late 1700s.

Mary Wollstonecraft

A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792)

Women must stand up for their rights and not allow their male-dominated society to define what it means to be a woman. Women must take the lead and articulate who they are and what role they will play in society. Women must reject patriarchal assumption that women are inferior to men.

Roots of Feminism

Not until the early 1900s (Progressive Era) that the major roots of feminist criticism began to grow.

Women gained the right to vote Women became prominent activists in the social issues of the day

Health care Education Politics literature

History of Feminist Criticism

Virginia Woolf

A Room of Ones Own (1919)

Declares men have and continue to treat women as inferiors. The male defines what is means to be female and controls the political, economic, social and literary structures.

History of Feminist Criticism

Simone de Beauvior

The Second Sex (1949)

foundational work of 20th century feminism Declares that French society (and Western societies in general) are PATRIARCHAL, controlled by males. Like Woolf, believed that the male defines what it means to be human, including, therefore, what it means to be female. Since the female is not the male, she becomes the Other, finding herself a nonexistent player in the major social institutions of her culture

Church Government Educational systems

History of Feminist Criticism

Kate Millet

Sexual Politics (1970)

challenges the social ideological characteristics of both the male and the female.
A female is born but a woman is created.

challenges the social ideological characteristics of both the male and the female.

Ones sex is determined at birth (male or female) Ones gender is a social construct created by cultural ideals and norms (masculine or feminine)

Women and men (consciously and unconsciously) conform to the cultural ideas established for them by society. Cultural norms and expectations are transmitted through media: television, movies, songs, and literature. Boys must be aggressive, self-assertive, domineering Girls must be passive, meek, humble

History of Feminist Criticism

Feminism in 1960s and 1970s

Feminist critics began to examine the traditional literary canon

Discovered examples that supported assertions of Beauvoir and Millet

that males considered the female the Other male dominance and prejudice Sex maniacs Goddesses of beauty Mindless entities Old spinsters

Stereotypes of women

History of Feminist Criticism

Feminism in 1960s and 1970s

Feminist critics began to examine the traditional literary canon

Brought about existence of a female reader who was affronted by the male prejudices abounding in the canon. Brought about questions concerning the male and female qualities of literary form, style, voice, and theme. By 1970s, books that defined womens writings in feminine terms flourished.

History of Feminist Criticism

Criticism of the 1980s

Elaine Showalter

A Literature of Their Own (1977)

Chronicles three historical or evolutionary phases of female writing: Feminine phase (1840-1880) Feminist phase (1880-1920) Female phase (1970-present)

History of Feminist Criticism

Elaine Showalter

A Literature of Their Own (1977)

Feminine phase (1840-1880)

Writers accepted their role as female writers Wrote under pseudonyms Charlotte Bronte George Eliot George Sand

History of Feminist Criticism

Elaine Showalter

A Literature of Their Own (1977)

Feminist phase (1880-1920)

Female authors dramatized the plight of the slighted woman Depicted the harsh or cruel treatment of female characters

History of Feminist Criticism

Elaine Showalter

A Literature of Their Own (1977)

Female phase (1970-present)

Feminist critics now concern themselves with developing a particularly female understanding of the female experiences in arts, including a feminine analysis of literary forms and techniques. Uncovering of misogyny in male texts

Feminist Criticism

Elaine Showalter

A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Bront to Lessing (1977)

Asserts female authors were consciously and deliberately excluded from the literary canon by the male professors who established the canon itself.

Example: Olive Schreiner

To fully understand the development of womens literature, we must recognize the Schreiners as well as the Austins.

Feminist Criticism

Elaine Showalter

Urges that the exclusion of the female voice must stop. what is needed is a feminist criticism that is genuinely women centered. Coined term gynocritics or gynocriticism: process of constructing a female framework for analysis of womens literature to develop new models based on the study of female experience, rather than to adapt to male models and theories. Gynocriticism

Label given to the study of women as writers Subjects it deals with: the history, style, themes, genres, and structures of writings by women

Feminist Criticism

No one critical theory of writing dominates feminist criticism; few theorists agree upon a unifying feminist approach to textual analysis.

American: textual, stressing repression British: Marxist, stressing oppression French: psychoanalytic, stressing repression

Asserts that most of our literature presents a masculine-patriarchal view in which the role of women is negated or at best minimized.

Feminist View

Attempts to show that writers of traditional literature have ignored women and have transmitted misguided and prejudiced views of them; Attempts to stimulate the creation of a critical environment that reflects a balanced view of the nature and value of women; Attempts to recover the works of women writers of past times and to encourage the publication of present women writers so that the literary canon may be expanded to recognize women as thinkers and artists; and Urges transformations in the language to eliminate inequities and inequalities that result from linguistic distortions.

Questions for Analysis

Is the author male or female? Is the text narrated by a male or female? What types of roles do women have in the text? Are the female characters the protagonists or secondary and minor characters? Do any stereotypical characterizations of women appear? What are the attitudes toward women held by the male characters? What is the authors attitude toward women in society? How does the authors culture influence his or her attitude? Is feminine imagery used? If so, what is the significance of such imagery? Do the female characters speak differently than do the male characters? In your investigation, compare the frequency of speech for the male characters to the frequency of speech for the female characters.

Romanticism characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of emotion and imagination, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions.

Romanticism - a movement in art, literature, and music during the 19th century. Romanticism is characterized by the 5 Is

Imagination Intuition Idealism Inspiration Individuality

Romantic Literature often challenges and questions strict social conventions placed upon gender roles.

(marriage, dominance vs. obedience, etc)

As we investigate Pride & Prejudice think about the expectations placed upon both men and women due to their gender roles. Are the fair? How do they

contribute to characters actions / motives?

Literary Criticism: Analyze a text through a specific focus: ask critical questions Feminist Criticism: investigates (1)society, (2) gender roles and (3) stereotypes

Main Critical Question: How do the characters

adhere to or rebel against gender constrictions?