Module 8: Feminist Waves Flashcards
When were Feminist waves seen?
1960s and beyond
Where were feminist waves seen?
US and UK
Who wrote Top Girls? Where is she from?
Caryl Churchill (UK)
Who wrote Fefu and Her Friends?
Maria Irene Fornes
What was Top Girls a response to? And why?
The election of Margaret Thatcher;
Churchill was concerned Thatcher’s politics benefited the wealthy minority only
Top Girls reveals concerns for society’s_________
Prioritization of capitalist success over sisterly solidarity
Forne’s plays often feature what kind of protagonists?
Female protagonists who challenge traditional gender roles and social norms.
What was Fornes known for?
Experimental and political theatre
Idea: Feminist Theatre
Aimed to challenge patriarchal structures and narratives by centering women’s stories through examining gender roles, dynamics and injustices
When and what was the first wave of Feminism?
Late 19th - Early 20th century: suffrage, property rights
When and what was the second wave of feminism?
1960s - 1980s: women’s liberation and equality, birth control pill, The Feminine Mystique (book by Betty Friedan)
When and what was the third wave of feminism?
1990s - 2010s : individuals and diversity, Anita Hill/sexual harassment, activism, riot girls, Pussy Riot, emergence of intersectionality
When and what was the fourth wave of feminism?
2010s - present: use of digital platforms to combat sexual harassment, body shaming, #metoo, emphasis on intersectionality
Importance of Fefu and Her Friends
- all female cast
- featured women independently
- play is divided into 3 parts each part in a different location
Importance of Top Girls?
Reflects feminist perspectives in the UK during the 1980s
Portrays the complexities of motherhood
“All of the women in the play realize their sufferings stem from the patriarchy”
