intro to feminist literary theory also known as: “gender criticism” sociological approach
TRANSCRIPT
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Intro to Feminist Literary Theory
Also Known as: “Gender Criticism”
Sociological Approach
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Basic premise of Feminist Theory:
“Literature is full of unexamined male-dominated
assumptions.”
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Patriarchy• Patriarchy is an ideology that
privileges masculine ways of thinking/points of view and marginalizes women politically, economically, and psychologically.
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Some Basic Tenets of Feminist Theory:• Women have
historically been excluded, suppressed, and exploited
• Traditional “Western Civilization” is patriarchal
• Women have represented values of nurturing, holism, and unity
• Women should be given the same opportunities as men
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Feminist critics identify ways women
have been:
• Excluded from positions of power
• Supressed in traditional literature & film: male characters are dominant while female characters are secondary
• Exploited in literature & film by sexist stereotypes
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Feminist critics:
• Examine relationships between men and women in literature & film
• Examine patriarchal society as it is represented in literature & film
• Look for positive female role models
• Look to establish a more inclusive literary and film industry
• Oppose images of misogyny
• Analyze female characters
• Analyze “the place” women hold in the text
• Analyze the social structure of the text, focusing on gender
• Compare how men and women writers present characters and use language
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One Main Question:
• How does an author’s gender influence his or her writing?
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Positive Aspects:
• Feminist criticism attempts to correct historical abuses against women
• It attempts to rectify sexist discrimination and inequalities
• It balances male perspectives with female ones
• It gives women more roles to play
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Negative Aspects
• Feminism is a narrow-minded view, using only one limited approach to analyzing texts
• It can lead to reverse sexism
• It has led to problematic debates (the “culture wars”) about family values, etc.
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Women Can Do It!
Women can do it!
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Sources• Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An
Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 2nd edition. NY: Manchester UP, 2002. Print.
• Brizee, Allen, and J. Case Tompkins. “Feminist Theory.”OWL at Purdue. Purdue University, 1995-2011. Web. 13 Sept. 2011.
• Sim, Stuart and Borin van Loon. Introducing Critical Theory: A Graphic Guide .Totem Books, 2005. Print.