Feminist literary criticism

Deborah_E._McDowell

Feminist literary criticism is a literary criticism informed by feminist theory, or by the politics of feminism more broadly. It can be understood as using feminist principles and ideology to critique the language of literature. This school of thought seeks to analyze and describe the ways in which literature portrays the narrative of male domination by exploring the economic, social, political, and psychological forces embedded within literature.

History

Feminist literary criticism emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the second wave of feminism. Early feminist literary critics, such as Simone de Beauvoir and Kate Millett, focused on exposing the patriarchal biases in literature and the ways in which women were portrayed as inferior to men.

Key Concepts

Feminist literary criticism involves several key concepts, including:

• Patriarchy: The social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property.
• Gender roles: The roles or behaviors learned by a person as appropriate to their gender, determined by the prevailing cultural norms.
• Representation of women: How women are depicted in literature, often focusing on stereotypes and the lack of complex female characters.
• Intersectionality: A concept often used in feminist theory to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism) are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another.

Approaches

Feminist literary criticism can be divided into several approaches:

• Liberal feminism: Focuses on achieving gender equality through political and legal reform within the current system.
• Radical feminism: Seeks to dismantle patriarchy by challenging existing social norms and institutions.
• Marxist feminism: Analyzes the ways in which women are oppressed through systems of capitalism and private property.
• Psychoanalytic feminism: Uses psychoanalytic theories to understand the ways in which literature reflects and shapes the unconscious mind's gender biases.

Notable Feminist Literary Critics

• Elaine Showalter
• Sandra Gilbert
• Susan Gubar
• Judith Butler
• bell hooks

Impact

Feminist literary criticism has had a profound impact on the study of literature. It has led to the rediscovery and reevaluation of works by women writers, the development of new literary theories, and the inclusion of gender as a critical category in literary analysis.

Related Pages

• Feminist theory
• Gender studies
• Women's studies
• Literary criticism
• Postcolonial feminism
• Queer theory