Feminism in Literature

1. GEOGRAPHICAL STRAINS OF
FEMINISM

2. • No one particular critical theory of writing
dominated feminist criticism in the ‘60s, ‘70s,
and ‘80s.
– Feminist theory and criticism stressed the
personal, allowing diverse theories and
approached to textual analysis.
• Geography played an important role in
determining the major interests of the various
voices of feminist criticism.

3. AMERICAN
GEOGRAPHICAL
STRAINS OF
FEMINISM
BRITISH
FRENCH

4. • No longer serve as distinct theoretical or
practical boundary.
• Remain important as historical markers in the
development of feminism.
• Showalter (1997) :
 American feminism – essentially textual, stressing
repression of female-authored texts.
 British feminism – essentially Marxist, stressing on
oppression.
 French feminism – essentially psychoanalytic,
stressing on repression.
 Common aim: rescue women from being
considered “The Other”.

6. • Major concern (Kolodny): restoration and
inclusion of female-authored writings to
literary canon.
• To write herstory (history written from a
feminist perspective, emphasizing the role of
women, or told from a woman's point of
view), female writers must find ways to gain
their voice in midst of male dominance.

7. • Male voice has been dominant for too long
(Gilbert & Gubar, 1979).
• This causes “anxiety of authorship” in women,
making them fear both literary creation and
writing.
• A “woman’s sentence” should be developed to
encourage literary autonomy.
– In return, the males are the ones being subjected
to the “anxiety of authorship”.
• Female writers will be able to become free
from being defined by men.

8. • Woman’s sentence too will also free women
from stereotypical images in literature
– “The angel in the house” vs “The madwoman in
the attic”.
• “The angel in the house” = woman supposedly
realizes material and physical comforts are
gifts from her husband, and she is to please
him and attend to his every comfort, and obey
him.

9. • “The madwoman in the attic” = description
given to female characters that rejects the
previous role.
• These representations are unrealistic – if you
are not an angel, then you must be a monster.

11. • Stressed on oppression.
• Inclined towards Marxist theory, it saw art,
literature and life are inseparable.
• Viewed writing, reading and publishing as
facets of life.
• How females are depicted in literature affects
how women will be treated in real life.

12. • The patriarchal society exploits women also
economically and socially.
• The western family structure renders women
to be economically independent, and Western
literature reflected this.
• They (critics) challenges the economic and
social status of women, both in the society
and as depicted in arts, especially texts.
• Aim: not only to critique, but to change
society.

14. • Stressed female oppression in life and art,
highlighting repression of women.
• Closely associated with theoretical and
practical applications of psychoanalysis, and
the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques
Lacan.

15. • Freud believed that phallus is power, and
women are incomplete males who possesses
penis envy.
• Lacan argued that language ultimately shapes
and structures the conscious and non
conscious mind – shaping our self identity, not
the phallus.
• Language as it is structured and understood,
denies women the power of literature and
writing.