There is no original or primary gender a drag imitates, but gender is a kind of. Literary theory does not mean making hypotheses or guesses about literature. Introductiontoliteraturecriticismandtheorybyandrewbennett. Literature and the development of feminist theory offers an insightful look at the development of feminist theory through a literary lens. Finally, we will pay attention to the changing field of feminist sociological theory, with the contributions and transformations brought by postmodernism, the study of masculinities and sexuality, and transnational feminist scholars. The resources can also be found via the feminist approaches to literature start page. Feminist literary criticism is literary criticism informed by feminist theory, or more broadly, by the politics of feminism. A very short summary of liberal feminist theory and practice elizabeth cady stanton, 1880 many activists have offered theoretical defenses of equal rights for women, including important americans such as elizabeth cady stanton pictured above and frederick douglass seneca falls convention, 1848. While most feminist theorists throughout history have been women, people of all genders can be found working in the discipline today. Features focus on the researcher feminism in literature delivers. In the united states, this alternativenatural birth movement has come. Unlike some other critical schools you might encounter cough new criticism cough, feminist theory is always evolving and adapting to new cultural and academic environments. By shifting the focus of social theory away from the perspectives and experiences of men, feminist theorists have created social theories that are more inclusive and creative than those that assume the social actor to always be a man. Literary theory is an unavoidable part of studying literature and criticism.
As an oppressed group, women have been unable to achieve their potential, receive rewards, or gain full participation in society. View feminist literary theory and gender studies research papers on academia. Feminist literary theory so far with regards to the ebook we now have sexualtextual politics. A readers guide to contemporary literary theory 5th edition. There is no political presence that demands a minimal level of consciousness and respect from those who write or talk about our lives 2. Each chapter deals with one of the issues or concepts that have engaged both authors and theorists rhetoric, work, consciousness, nature, class and race. Elaine showalters a literature of their own, which describes three stages in the history of womens literature, also proposes a similar multipart model of the growth of feminist theory.
Request pdf on oct 1, 2000, paul davies and others published ecofeminist literary criticism. Indeed, virtually all dimensions of sociological theory have been reevaluated through the lens of feminist theory. The nobel prize internet archive has a complete list of women nobel prize laureates in the area of literature here. Stressing the significance of feminisms origins in the european enlightenment, this book traces the literary careers of feminisms major thinkers in order to elucidate the connection of feminist theoretical production to literary work. Ecofeminism is a practical movement for social change that discerns interconnections among all forms of oppression.
The thesis supported in this paper is that the poetry of adrienne rich can. The cambridge companion to feminist literary theory feminism has dramatically in. A very short summary of liberal feminist theory and practice. A reader is an indispensable guide, companion and handbook for students and teachers of womens literature. Feminist geography feminist geography research papers discuss the subset of human geography that applies feminist theory to studying human environment gender issues and the idea of gender did not gain prominence until the womens rights movement of the 1970s, when feminist theory held that gender was a social construct virginia woolf feminism virginia woolf feminism essays examine one.
Ecofeminist literary criticism is the first collection of its kind. Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, fictional, or philosophical discourse. Most importantly, its fighting the good fight with all the tools it can musterrazor sharp tiaras, lassos, and loaded literary terms included. Feminist literary theory and gender studies research papers. First, according to showalter, comes an androgynist poetics.
American literature 1989 267 eavan boland 278 letter to a young woman poet 1997 279 lyn hejinian 288 the language of inquiry 2000 288 from the rejection of closure 288 part 2. Or wait, maybe its just about grrrl power and doing whatever you wanna do. By revisiting the classic literature, the critic can question whether society has predominantly valued male authors and their literary works. Key concepts queer theory heterosexual matrix performativity. Further material can be found via our library and via the various authors and theme pages. Feminist literary theory has deliberately transgressed traditional boundaries between literature, philosophy, and the social sciences in order to. There are at least two important ideas that come out of the definition of the term theory by owens 1994. Defining liberal feminist theory liberal feminist theory can be explained by examining the term theory first. Feminist analysis on literature she ubans chronicles. Rush, autumn grubbswetnam, and christina lane the focus of this chapter is the ways in which communication theory and method can provide a richer, more complex and enlightening canvas of the human condition, when they draw their. And being a witch, lesbian, and communist all lumped into one theyre all the same anyway, right pat.
Part of what makes feminist theory creative and inclusive is that it often considers how systems of power and oppression interact, which is to say it does not just focus on gendered power and oppression, but on how this might intersect with systemic racism, a hierarchical class system, sexuality, nationality, and disability, among other things. What are some main concerns of feminist literary theory and. Feminist approaches to literature great writers inspire. Feminist theory in literature by katie hoffman on prezi. Introduction feminist sociological theory is both an academic and a political approach to the study of society. Thus the literature courses offered at most universities and colleges are. Jun 28, 2009 feminist analysis on literature or feminist criticism is a kind of literary criticism informed by feminist theory, or by the politics of feminism more broadly. Aug 20, 2000 a detailed analysis shows how each concept has been used by feminists to construct a specific text in such a way that it is received as a work of womens writing, particularly in american literature. Feminist theory an extension of feminisms critique of male power and ideology, feminist theory combines elements of other theoretical models such as psychoanalysis, marxism, poststructuralism, and deconstruction to interrogate the role of gender in the writing. Patriarchy is a system of social organization that traces descent through the male line and bestows privilege and power to males on the assumption of their physical and intellectual superiority over women. The variety of feminisms and their contribution to gender. Application of literary theory in teaching literaturea. Feminism in literature and in theory ugc net english.
In the field of english studies and most academic disciplines, theory refers to the. Links in the text point to resources in the great writers inspire site. Literary theory, an introduction second edition staff uny. It aims to understand the nature of gender inequality. Patriarchy is a system of social organization that traces descent through the male line and bestows privilege and power to males on the assumption of. A manifesto by cinzia arruzza, the masters tools will never disma. Literary theories were developed as a means to understand the various ways people read texts. The fourth reason, as smith concludes, is that there is not a developed body of black feminist political theory whose assumptions. No other anthology offers so many bitesized tasters of work on gendered authorship, literary production, critical reception, sexuality and genre. Apr 17, 2017 feminist literary criticism is used to explore the inequalities, social injustices and abusive messages directed toward women within patriarchal societies and cultures. A very short summary of liberal feminist theory and practice elizabeth cady stanton, 1880 many activists have offered theoretical defenses of equal rights for women, including important americans such as elizabeth cady stanton pictured above and frederick douglass seneca falls. Feminist literary criticism is used to explore the inequalities, social injustices and abusive messages directed toward women within patriarchal societies and cultures. Reevaluating literature and the world in which literature is read.
The variety of feminisms and their contribution to gender equality introduction my focus is the continuities and discontinuities in recent feminist ideas and perspectives. The traditional interpretation of this theory is based on the common ideology of feminism within the communication world. This general overview will show a gradual shift from an obvious con. I would think that greater reward might be offered if you are able to narrow it down a bit. Feminist literary criticism suggests that women in literature have been historically presented as objects seen from a male perspective. Feminist theory is an international interdisciplinary journal that provides a forum for critical analysis and constructive debate within feminism theoretical pluralism feminist diversity feminist theory is genuinely interdisciplinary and reflects the diversity of feminism, incorporating perspectives from across the broad spectrum of the humanities and social sciences and the full range of. Next, a feminist critique and female aesthetic, accompanied by gynocritics, follows, and these are closely pursued by gynesic poststructuralist.
It shows the struggle of women to get the same position as a men or being free of mandominated. Using canonical texts, from charlotte perkins gilman through kate chopin and willa cather to alice walker and ann beattie, madsen engages. Women have something valuable to contribute to every aspect of the world. This page includes information on different literary genres, specific historical periods, pedagogical issues, politics and literature, and literary theory. Feminism involves political and sociological theories and philosophies concerned with issues of gender difference, as well as a movement that advocates gender. Feminist geography feminist geography research papers discuss the subset of human geography that applies feminist theory to studying human environment gender issues and the idea of gender did not gain prominence until the womens rights movement of the 1970s, when feminist theory held that gender was a social construct. It uses the principles and ideology of feminism to critique the language of literature. Jan 29, 20 phallocentrism a doctrine or belief centred on the phallus, especially a belief in the superiority of the male sex. By literary theory we refer not to the meaning of a work of literature but to the theories that reveal what literature can mean. This school of thought seeks to analyze and describe the ways in which literature portrays the narrative of male domination by.
The theory focused on is the exploration of feminist theory developed by mary wollstonecraft in the 1790s. I think women should get paid equal to men, but im not a feminist. Rush, autumn grubbswetnam, and christina lane the focus of this chapter is the ways in which communication theory and method can provide a richer, more complex and enlightening canvas of. A detailed analysis shows how each concept has been used. This book offers an exploration of womens writing that focuses on the close links between literary texts and the theories that construct those texts as womens writing. Phallocentrism a doctrine or belief centred on the phallus, especially a belief in the superiority of the male sex. The proponents of each theory believe their theory is the theory. The exploration of feminist theory essay 1536 words 7 pages. What are some main concerns of feminist literary theory.
Feminism, nature and difference diana fuss 385 under western eyes. Feminist scholarship and colonial discourses chandra talpade mohanty 388 woman, native, other. Feminist theory an extension of feminisms critique of male power and ideology, feminist theory combines elements of other theoretical models such as psychoanalysis, marxism, poststructuralism, and deconstruction to interrogate the role of gender in the writing, interpretation, and dissemination of literary texts. I am going to discuss the development of feminist theories as to the sources of gender inequality and its pervasiveness, and the different feminist political solutions and. The concept of feminism, in general, has been concerned to an analysis of the trend of male domination in the society. In other words we can say that a patriarchal society is phallocentric in literature it is common to search for phallic symbols symbols of male dominance this overlaps with psychoanalytic freudian theory. Owens 1994 defines theory as a thought process or way of thinking about reality which becomes a model of that reality. What are the most characterstic features of feminist. Questions for reflection or discussion are highlighted in the text. Feminist analysis on literature or feminist criticism is a kind of literary criticism informed by feminist theory, or by the politics of feminism more broadly. Theory, interpretation, pedagogy find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.
Feminist literary theory and gender studies research. Most teachers in literature class choose to use the approach that is not linked to any one literary theory but focus on the background information of the authors, the words and expressions of each text, as well as the structure and craft of each text. Feminist literary theory suggestions people are yet to yet eventually left the writeup on the game, or otherwise read it but. No other anthology offers so many bitesized tasters of work on gendered authorship, literary production, critical reception, sexuality and genre from romantic fiction to travel writing. Inequity gender pay gap, womens choices portrayal of women women in the literary canon. We dont have all that gender discrimination stuff anymore. Key concepts hegemonic masculinity patriarchal dividend. Chapter ii concept of feminism in literature the term feminism was derived from the latin word femina meaning woman and was first used with regard to the issues of equality and womens rights movement. How to use feminist literary criticism pen and the pad. Literary theory in a strict sense is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the. It examines womens and mens social roles, experiences, interests, chores, and feminist politics in a variety of fields, such as anthropology and sociology, communication, media studies, psychoanalysis, home economics, literature. History launched in the twentieth century with virginia woolfs a room of ones own 1929 1969 kate millett examined how women are represented in text by famous men in sexual politics.
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