Feminism

 Thinking Activity:- Feminism / Feminist Criticism

Hello Readers! This blog is written in response to the thinking activity assigned by Dr.Dilip Barad sir from the Department of English, MKBU. This blog deals with various western literary theories like Marxism, Feminism, Ecocriticism and Queer theory. In this blog, I will discuss Feminism and Feminist Criticism.

Introduction:-

Feminism is an interdisciplinary approach addressing equality and equity related to gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex, and sexuality. Initially focusing on the critique of gender inequality, feminism has evolved to examine the social and performative aspects of gender and sexuality. Contemporary feminist theory explores inequalities across intersecting lines such as ability, class, gender, race, sex, and sexuality. Activists aim to bring about change in areas where these intersecting factors create power imbalances.

What is Feminism?

Feminism is about advocating for equal rights and opportunities for all genders. It involves recognizing and respecting the diverse experiences, identities, and strengths of women. The goal is to empower women to fully realize their rights and ensure equal opportunities for everyone. Being a feminist means believing in equality, without hating men or seeking superiority. It's about leveling the playing field between genders and promoting fairness, without rejecting femininity. Simply put, feminism is about equal rights for all genders.

"It is an advocacy of the Political , economic and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organised activity on behalf of women's rights and interests."

Feminist literary criticism is a type of literary analysis influenced by feminist theory and the politics of feminism. It applies feminist principles and ideology to examine the language of literature. This approach aims to analyze and reveal how literature portrays narratives of male domination by exploring the economic, social, political, and psychological forces embedded within literary works. In essence, feminist literary criticism seeks to uncover and critique gender-related issues within literature through a feminist lens.

Feminism and Feminist Criticism:-

The 'women's movement' of the 1960s was not the beginning of feminism but a revival of an existing tradition of thought and action. Feminism already had its classic books that identified and addressed the issue of women's inequality in society, some of which proposed solutions to these problems. The movement of the 1960s built upon and renewed these earlier foundations in the pursuit of gender equality.

Example of Feminist Criticism:-

Margaret Fuller's Woman in the Nineteenth Century:-

"Woman in the Nineteenth Century" is a book by American journalist, editor, and women's rights advocate Margaret Fuller. Originally published in July 1843 in The Dial magazine, it was later expanded and republished in book form in 1845. The work is a significant feminist text that addresses women's roles and rights in the 19th century, discussing issues such as gender inequality and advocating for women's intellectual and social freedom.

Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex :-

"The Second Sex" (French: "Le Deuxième Sexe") is a book written by the French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Published in 1949, the work explores the treatment of women in contemporary society and throughout history. It is divided into two volumes: "Facts and Myths" and "Lived Experience." The book is a seminal work in feminist philosophy, addressing issues of women's oppression, the construction of femininity, and the quest for women's liberation. Simone de Beauvoir's exploration in "The Second Sex" has had a profound and enduring influence on feminist thought and literature.

"The Second Sex" by Simone de Beauvoir is a significant critique of the cultural view that identifies women as the negative "Other" to men as the dominating "Subject." The book challenges the assumption that men represent humanity in general. It also critiques the collective myths about women in the works of many male writers. Widely regarded as a groundbreaking work of feminist philosophy, "The Second Sex" is considered the starting point of second-wave feminism.

Simone de Beauvoir's statement, "One is not born, but rather becomes a woman," underscores her belief that being a woman is not an inherent condition but a result of societal treatment from birth. She argued that women should take control of their lives and define their essence, as there is no inherent nature dictating that men should be a certain way as opposed to women. This idea challenges traditional notions of fixed gender roles and encourages women to shape their identities on their own terms.

Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own:-

Virginia Woolf played a crucial role as an early precursor in feminist criticism. In addition to her fiction, she authored "A Room of One’s Own" in 1929 and numerous essays addressing women authors. Woolf explored the cultural, economic, and educational challenges within a "patriarchal" society, dominated by men. She highlighted the obstacles that hindered or prevented women from realizing their full productive and creative potentials. Woolf's work laid a foundation for feminist literary criticism by addressing gender-based inequalities in both society and literature.

Kate Millett's "Sexual Politics,":-

Kate Millett's "Sexual Politics," published in the early 1970s, was even more influential in feminist criticism. Millett used the term "politics" to refer to the mechanisms that express and enforce power relationships in society. She analyzed various Western social arrangements and institutions as covert methods of manipulating power to establish and perpetuate the dominance of men and the subordination of women.

In her book, Millett critiqued the male bias in Freud's psychoanalytic theory and examined selected passages by authors like D. H. Lawrence, Henry Miller, Norman Mailer, and Jean Genet. She argued that these passages revealed how these authors, in their fictional fantasies, elevated their aggressive phallic selves while degrading women into submissive sexual objects. "Sexual Politics" thus became a significant work that contributed to the feminist critique of literature and culture.

What Feminist Critics do? 

 1. Rethink the canon, aiming at the rediscovery of texts written by women. 

2. Revalue women's experience. 

3. Examine representations of women in literature by men and women. 

4. Challenge representations of women as 'Other', as 'lack', as part of 'nature'. 

5. Examine power relations which are obtained in texts and in life, with a view to breaking them down, seeing reading as a political act, and showing the extent of patriarchy. 

6. Recognise the role of language in making what is social and constructed seem transparent and 'natural'. 

7. Raise the question of whether men and women are 'essentially' different because of biology, or are socially constructed as different. 

8. Explore the question of whether there is a female language, an feminine, and whether this is also available to men. 

9. 'Re-read' psychoanalysis to further explore the issue of female and male identity. 

10. Question the popular notion of the death of the author, asking whether there are only 'subject positions ... constructed in discourse', or whether, on the contrary, the experience is central. 

11. Make clear the ideological base of supposedly 'neutral' or 'mainstream' literary interpretations. 

Feminism in Literature:-

Pride and Prejudice:-

In "Pride and Prejudice," Jane Austen subtly weaves in feminist themes that question the societal norms of the 19th century. The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, defies traditional gender roles by being strong-willed and independent. Austen criticizes the societal pressure for women to marry for financial stability, as depicted through Mrs. Bennet's fixation on securing suitable husbands for her daughters. Elizabeth's resistance to conforming to these expectations and her insistence on marrying for love highlight feminist undertones.

The novel also delves into the constraints on women's education and independence. Elizabeth's intelligence challenges the notion of women being intellectually inferior. The character of Charlotte Lucas, who marries for financial security without love, serves as commentary on the limited choices available to women during that era. In essence, "Pride and Prejudice" presents a nuanced exploration of gender roles and societal expectations, creating a foundation for feminist analysis and discussion.

Conclusion:-

In conclusion, feminism and its criticism have significantly influenced various aspects of society, culture, and literature. Feminism, as an interdisciplinary approach, seeks to address issues of equality and equity related to gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex, and sexuality. It has evolved over time from a focus on the critique of gender inequality to a more nuanced exploration of the social and performative constructions of gender and sexuality.

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