Essay on Feminist Criticism

Unit-III

FEMINIST CRITICISM

Introduction

It is an approach to literature that seeks to correct or supplement what may be regarded as a predominantly male-dominated critical perspective with a feminist consciousness. Feminist criticism places literature in a social context and uses a broad range of disciplines including history, sociology, psychology and linguistics, to provide a perspective sensitive to feminist issues. Feminist theories also attempt to understand representation from a woman's point of view and to explain women's writing strategies as specific to their social conditions.

1. Describe the main theme of feminism.

1. Introduction

Feminist literary criticism aims to study the ways in which cultural representations, like literature, undermine and reinforce the economic, social, political and psychological suppression and oppression of women in society. The 'women's movement' of the 1960s began in order to spread its ideals of freedom and equality. And transform patriarchal notions.

2. Women confined to their homes

Up to the nineteenth century, women were scarcely seen in public life, even in advanced countries. They were powerless to face the prevailing view of male supremacy. They even thought that male supremacy was even desirable. Therefore a woman's place was supposed to be in the home and she is meant for bearing and rearing children. In western countries, women were largely preoccupied with getting access to the ballot box, family Support and preservation. The cultural anthropologist, Levi-Strauss, considers that women have always been passive objects in the final decisions of marriage. Brides were and still are chosen by men. Aristotle and Donne held the view that forms in masculine, while the matter is feminine. The mother was supposed to be no parent at all in Greek mythology. Milton wrote in his Paradise Lost, 'He (Adam) for God only she (Eve) for God in him'.

3. The Beginnings

Mary Wollstonecraft's book A Vindication of the Rights of a woman (1792), and John Stuart Mill's The subjection of Woman (1879) are some important studies on this subject. At a time when male supremacy was taken for granted, and political power, property rights and reputation rested with men, it was an unwritten convention that women should obey men. It was at this period the two books brought to light and condemned the sense of discrimination created by such inequality between the sexes. Since then feminism sought to displace patriarchally

Culture, assert sexual equality and eradicate sexist domination.

4. Feminist literary criticism

Feminist criticism seeks to free itself from time-honoured and naturalised patriarchal notions. The aim is to expose the misogyny (hatred against women) involved in the literary production and practice of the past. Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own (1929), Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex (1949), and Kate Millet's Sexual Politics (1969) are invaluable studies in feminism. Some of the basic issues raised by feminist literary criticism are:

i) Western society is established firmly in patriarchal ideology and controlled by it: hence women are kept forcibly under control.

ii) Men always establish rules, and women are defined as the 'other' with reference to these rules.

ii) Sex and gender are entirely different from each to be distinguished. Sex is other, and need biologically determined, while gender is created by society/ culture.

iv) The objective of feminist criticism is to promote gender equality.

5. Woman as a reader

There are two areas in Feminist theory, one woman as a reader and the other, woman as a writer. The first task is to scrutinise the literature of the past with a view to exposing the notorious patriarchal ideology written in it and subject it to a re-visionary, re-reading from the perspective of the woman. This exercise has involved a reinterpretation of the classics. Women as readers would examine female characters in male-authored works as well as in the works by women in order to show which of the images of women more authentic are. This is done with a view to exposing misogyny even in famous works of literature.

Male authors may depict strong women characters that support family values, and female authors may create stereotypes of women. There are many instances of feminist re-reading. Harriet Beacher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is now read as an early novel that glorifies the virtues of family life and motherhood. Works of male authors such as D.H. Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway, and works such as Jane Eyre, and Mill on the Floss by woman writers have come in for re-interpretation. Even Shakespeare's tragedies have not escaped the attention of feminist readings. The great tragedies are read as androcentric, 'masculine dramas of self-definition, privileging male experience and portraying it as universal.

6. Woman as Writer 'gynocriticism'

In this two factors are involved. One is to unearth forgotten women talents, bring to light those women writers of the past. The other is to create a whole lot of literature by women and of women. For this dual function Elaine Showalter has given the name gyno-criticism. The main elements of gynocriticism are:

I) Biology: The basic theory of patriarchy is that a woman is a womb, a receptacle for male domination. To use the very characteristics in women's biological features (childbirth, rearing of children, etc.) as a motif in writings with a view to celebrating it.

ii) Experience: To portray women as a source of immense values in life as well as in art.

iii) Discourse: Language is mostly male Challenge this and create woman's language which will be distinctively feminine in its style and structure.

iv) The unconscious: The female principle is to lie outside the definition of the male.

v) Social and economic conditions: In writings reject notions of universal feminism.

7. Female Writers overlooked by literary historians

Elaine Showalter in her work A Literature of Their Own (1977) has excellently accomplished the task of rediscovering neglected women's talents. Less known authors like Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Elizabeth Gaskell, Christina Rossetti and authors who have been overlooked by literary historians have been brought to clear focus.

8. Feminism exposes the patriarchal ideology

Feminism is multicultural. It is true that women, in general, are subjected to patriarchal oppression and their problems are shaped by their classes, race, nationality, religion and many other factors. Feminist critics try to go against their conflicting instinct in exploring as well as exposing the patriarchal ideology of literary texts. Its goal is to widen our understanding of a women's experience of the world and its value in the world.

Three Phases of Feminism:

The Feminine Phase (1840-1880):

Women in an equal effort to equal the literary achievements of male culture. The sign is male Pseudonym

The Feminine Phase (1880-1920):

Women’s writing that protested against male standards, Viahos and advocated women’s rights.

The Feminine Phase (1920-Till date):

Women reject imitation and protest. It is called an autonomous phase.

9. Lesbian / Gay Criticism

Lesbian or Gay Criticism, like feminist criticism, is gender-oriented. It is emerging as a field of study mainly to critically examine the attitudes of our society towards lesbians and gays as part of Culture studies'. Lesbian Feminism emerged in the 1980s as a by-product of feminist studies and has gained momentum in 1990 Lesbian studies question the 'centrality of gender as a fundamental category of gender as historical analysis and understanding'. Their aim is to remove the prejudices against homophobia (fear resistance against same-sex friendship). Lesbian/ Gay criticism is an extension of Feminist criticism. Lesbian Feminism emerged as a field of study more as a revolt against the 'essentialism' (i.e. the idea of an essential feminine identity in Feminism). Moreover, notions like 'fluid identity, the 'Otherness, experimental forms and deconstructive freedom have given scope to what is generally referred to as 'queer studies and queer theory. Lesbian criticism also tries to present from mainstream literature the texts that portray directly or indirectly lesbian/ gay relationships. Lesbian/ gay critics try to expose the hypocritical nature of our society and how these practices are present though suppressed.