Feminist Criticism Essay

this theory is that “women as readers” are consumers of solely male produced literature and oftentimes men hypothesize femininity, providing false pretenses surrounding the true nature of women (Showalter). A few prominent theorists and works are Charles Bressler, author of Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, Toril Moi and her essay “Feminist Literary Criticism,” and Elaine Showalter’s “Toward a Feminist Poetics.” The common motive behind the feminist literary criticism is to identify and restore female representation as well as debunk the typical patriarchal, or a governed by men control that is seen in the literary world. “In this patriarchal world, man more frequently than not defines what it means to be human. Woman has become the Other, the “not-male.” Man is the subject, the one who defines meaning. Woman is the object, having her existence defined and determined by the male” (Bressler). Bressler depicts the traditional form of literature prior to the 19th century, which was male oriented. This is the reason for such uproar from women to evolve literature into a representative device of both male and female interest. A patriarchal literary world gave heed to the feminist movement within literature, working in order to produce a shift from male…

Looking through the lens of different literary theories would disclose information about how literature is examined by different readers. For instance, looking through the perspective of a feminist would lead to better understanding of the foundation for feminist criticism. Likewise, probing through ecological perspectives provide for comprehension of ecocriticism. In Lady Chatterley’s Lover, reading through the lenses of these different literary theories reveal the selections in the novel that…

Exploring Feminist Criticism in Hamlet For thousands of years the role of women in society has changed vastly throughout our world. Since the beginning of time, women have been on an uphill climb to achieve the same equality as her male counterpart. Women have been taught to limit themselves, and those who have been courageous enough to surpass these limitations have faced great adversity. During the time of Shakespeare, the patriarchal society that ruled had consequential effects for the…

In her book Writing Women’s Literary History, Margaret J. M. Ezell discusses, among other topics, the aspects and effects of literary criticism upon women’s literature. With the large and obvious exception of Virginia Woolf, about whom, it should be conceded, Ezell devoted more than a chapter of discussion, Ezell spends a great deal of her book discussing the myriad ways that men and their actions and opinions shaped the development of women’s literature. In particular, in her discussions of the…

This approach to literature is controversial, in that some scholars say that the feminist criticism does not exist. Another critique is the lack of “a rigidly defined methodology” in feminist criticism. Some critics claim that the study of sex roles and stereotypes “can become a shallow survey of existing types and no more than that” (Schweickart). While there are no specific rules, there are some common ideals in feminist criticism. Patriarchy has different connotations for both genders. For…

female characters in Hamlet, is oppressed by all the male characters with whom she comes in contact with. Left with no free will or choice of what to do with her own life, missing a mother figure, she becomes a pawn in the hands of her father, Polonius, and to a lesser extent Hamlet. Ophelia is manipulated until her mind is completely broken and is pushed to the point of no return. Feminist criticism will show us that this play is based on a masculine hegemony that leaves absolutely no room for…

The story of Peter and Wendy can be read through many theoretical lenses. While looking through each lense, specific details and hidden meanings can be picked out and critiqued to demonstrate different meanings of the story. Looking at Peter and Wendy through a feminist lense, the intentional and unintentional representation of patriarchal norms and values are shown (Tyson, 448). While looking at the same text through a deconstructive lens, the meaning of concepts is very ‘slippery’ and also has…

Predominance and the Patriarchy: Feminist Criticism in Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s classic novel, although published in a time period where women were very repressed, contains contemporary feminist ideas. Each of Austen’s characters possess various quirks and flaws that show women are more than their stereotypes. Women can be strong and independent, but also kind and romantic. Jane Austen’s portrayal of women creates a commentary on the stereotypical views of women and the unjust…

In 1899, Joseph Conrad published a short novella called Heart Of Darkness. This work of fiction is written in such a way that it allows its readers to respond to it in varieties of different ways. Diverse form of criticism have been taken on the matters in the novella. Criticism from Feminists group on the way women are portrayed to, psycho-analytic approach of the criticism, all have something to say about the novella. But one criticism that has hovered the novella for a long time, is the issue…

Abortion There is so much controversy of whether or not abortion should be illegal or legal, and the fact of the matter is that people, men and women should have the choice of the decision if whether they want to or don’t it shouldn’t be a complicated topic. The topic of abortions shows a feminist criticism because women should have the choice of what they would like to do with their bodies without having someone else tell them what they can and cannot do. Although some people may be against…