Feminist critics Flashcards
What does feminist theory aim to explore?
Gender inequality and its roots and nature
Feminist theory is a key conflict theory in sociology.
What is feminist literary criticism?
A critique of literature based on social relationships and roles of men and women
It draws on feminist theory to analyze how literature portrays and is influenced by patriarchal narratives.
Define patriarchy.
A social system where men hold the most power.
List three elements examined in feminist literary criticism.
- ‘Gendered’ language and symbols
- Stereotypical or unconventional portrayals of female characters
- Reader’s gender affecting their response to a text
What historical period did feminist literary criticism emerge from?
The second wave of feminism.
Which text by Geoffrey Chaucer contributes to feminist literary criticism?
‘The Wife of Bath’ from The Canterbury Tales (1392).
What argument did Virginia Woolf present in A Room of One’s Own (1929)?
A woman needs to control her own space and finances to be a successful writer.
What is the first wave of feminism primarily focused on?
Obtaining equality between men and women through the right to vote.
What issues did the second wave of feminism address?
Legal obstacles to gender equality, such as workplace or reproductive rights.
What is intersectional feminism?
An approach that understands how intersecting identities impact the oppression faced by women.
What key works were published during the second wave of feminism?
- A Literature of Their Own (1977) by Elaine Showalter
- The Madwoman in the Attic (1979) by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar
- New Directions for Black Feminist Criticism (1980) by Deborah E. McDowell
Define gynocriticism.
The study of women’s writing, focusing on female authors and their contributions.
What is the focus of third-wave feminist literary criticism?
Intersectionality and the limitations of second-wave feminism.
What does intersectionality refer to?
The interconnected systems of oppression faced by individuals with overlapping identities.
What characterizes the fourth wave of feminism?
Utilizing literature, news, and social media to promote feminist causes and address issues like sexual violence.
What is the significance of Louise O’Neill’s novel Only Every Yours (2014)?
It presents a dystopian future where women are objectified and controlled by patriarchal society.
What are five key questions to analyze literature through a feminist lens?
- Is the author, and/or narrator, male or female?
- What are the roles of the female characters in the text?
- How are women characterized in the text?
- Does the author use feminine or masculine imagery?
- What is the social and cultural context of the text?
What does Simone de Beauvoir argue about women in The Second Sex?
Women are characterized as ‘the Other’ by men.
What are Elaine Showalter’s three phases in women’s writing?
- The ‘Feminine’ Phase
- The ‘Feminist’ Phase
- The ‘Female’ Phase
What is the Madwoman Thesis by Gilbert and Gubar?
Female characters in male-authored works are often defined as either an angel or a monster.
What does the character of Curley’s Wife in Of Mice and Men represent?
A stereotypical portrayal of women as a plot device rather than as individuals.
What narrative mode does Virginia Woolf use in Mrs Dalloway?
Stream-of-consciousness.
How does Virginia Woolf highlight the lack of individual identity in marriage through Clarissa Dalloway?
By referring to her as ‘Mrs Richard Dalloway’.
What social constructs influence Clarissa’s life?
Social expectations of womanhood and femininity
Clarissa’s decision to marry aligns with early 20th-century norms that confined women to the roles of housewife and mother.
How does Woolf highlight the lack of individual identity in marriage?
By referring to Clarissa as ‘Mrs Richard Dalloway’
This emphasizes how women were often defined by their husbands rather than as individuals.
What does feminist theory explore?
Gender inequality and its roots
It aims to understand the nature of gendered oppression in society.
What is the definition of patriarchy?
A social system where men hold the most power
This framework is critical in discussions surrounding gender roles and oppression.
What elements does feminist literary criticism examine in a text?
- ‘Gendered’ language and symbols
- Stereotypical or unconventional portrayals of female characters
- The effect of the reader’s gender on their response
This form of criticism critiques how literature is shaped by patriarchal narratives.
When did feminist literary criticism emerge?
During the second wave of feminism
However, its roots can be traced back to earlier texts.
What is gynocriticism?
The study of women’s writing
Coined by Elaine Showalter, it focuses on the representation of women in literature.
What characterizes the first wave of feminism?
The suffragette movement and the right to vote
This wave focused on achieving legal equality between men and women.
What is intersectional feminism?
An approach that considers overlapping identities in oppression
It highlights how race, class, and sexuality intersect with gender.
What are the three phases of women’s writing according to Showalter?
- The ‘Feminine’ Phase
- The ‘Feminist’ Phase
- The ‘Female’ Phase
Each phase reflects the evolving role and expression of women writers.
What is the Madwoman Thesis?
The idea that female characters in male-written texts are either angels or monsters
This reflects the limited roles available to women in society.
What does the term ‘the Other’ refer to in feminist literary criticism?
How women are perceived as oppositional to men
This concept was articulated by Simone de Beauvoir in her work ‘The Second Sex’.
What narrative technique is used in Mrs Dalloway?
Stream-of-consciousness
This technique allows insight into multiple characters’ thoughts and perspectives.
What is a key characteristic of Clarissa Dalloway in the novella?
She is the protagonist and is influenced by social expectations of femininity
Her identity is largely shaped by her role as a wife and mother.
What are the five key questions to analyze literature through a feminist lens?
- Is the author, and/or narrator, male or female?
- What are the roles of the female characters?
- How are women characterized in the text?
- Does the author use feminine or masculine imagery?
- What is the social and cultural context of the text?
These questions guide the analysis of gender influences in literature.
What does the second wave of feminism focus on?
Legal obstacles to gender equality
Issues like workplace rights and reproductive rights were central to this wave.
What is the focus of the fourth wave of feminism?
Utilizing literature and social media to address sexual violence
It continues to tackle issues like legal equality while emphasizing contemporary issues.
What is the significance of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own?
Argues that women need control over their own space and finances to write
This work is foundational to feminist literary criticism.
In what year was The Second Sex published?
1949
This influential work by Simone de Beauvoir laid groundwork for feminist theory.
True or False: Feminist literary criticism considers race, class, and sexuality directly.
False
It primarily focuses on gender; however, an intersectional approach can enhance analysis.
How is Clarissa’s life influenced by social constructs?
Clarissa’s life is shaped by social expectations of womanhood and femininity, particularly through her decision to marry, which aligns with early 20th-century roles of housewife and mother.
Clarissa becomes ‘Mrs Richard Dalloway’, reflecting the lack of individual identity many women held in marriage.
What does Woolf highlight by referring to Clarissa as an extension of her husband?
Woolf highlights the lack of individual identity many women held in marriage.
This reflects societal norms of the time regarding women’s roles.
What type of imagery does Woolf use in the text?
Woolf utilises both feminine and masculine imagery.
An example is Peter’s ‘pocket-knife’, which acts as a phallic symbol.
What does the pocket-knife symbolize in Peter and Clarissa’s exchange?
The pocket-knife symbolizes masculinity and Peter’s attraction and need for dominance.
Clarissa dismisses its intimidation, indicating her confidence.
How does Clarissa respond to Peter’s masculinity?
Clarissa opens her scissors, a yonic symbol, matching Peter’s masculinity with her femininity.
This demonstrates her equal stance despite the connotations of danger.
Define phallic and yonic symbols.
Phallic symbols represent male anatomy, while yonic symbols represent female anatomy.
Examples include a knife for phallic and scissors for yonic.
What is the social and cultural context of ‘Mrs Dalloway’?
The text was written in the mid-1920s, after women gained the right to vote in the UK through the 1918 Representation of the People Act.
Full voting rights for women at the same age as men came in 1928.
How did traditional gender expectations influence Woolf?
Despite subverting expectations as a successful author, Woolf was still impacted by traditional ideas of women as housewives and mothers.
These societal norms were prevalent during her time.
What was the women’s suffrage movement?
A movement to fight for women’s right to vote, beginning in the late 19th century and achieving success with the 1918 and 1928 Voting Rights Acts.
This movement influenced societal views on women’s roles.
What are key takeaways from feminist literary criticism?
Feminist literary criticism critiques literature through feminist theory, exploring patriarchal narratives and gendered symbols.
It considers the portrayal of female characters and the reader’s gender influence.
When did feminist literary criticism first emerge?
Feminist literary criticism first emerged during the second wave of feminism.
However, relevant ideas are present in the first wave of feminism as well.
What is Simone de Beauvoir’s argument regarding women?
Men perceive women as ‘the Other’.
This concept is central to feminist theory.
What are Elaine Showalter’s three phases in women’s writing?
Showalter identifies three phases in women’s writing, but specifics are not provided here.
Understanding these phases helps in analyzing women’s literature.
What is the Madwoman Thesis by Gilbert and Gubar?
The Madwoman Thesis discusses the representation of women in literature as often being marginalized or portrayed as mad.
This thesis highlights the struggles of female characters in literature.
