“Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks

“Feminism: Crying Our Souls Out” by bell hooks, first appeared in 1995 in the journal Women & Therapy, explores the emotional and psychological toll of systemic oppression on women, particularly Black women. Hooks’ writing is characterized by its raw honesty, vulnerability, and unwavering commitment to social justice. Her exploration of the interconnectedness of race, gender, and class has had a profound impact on feminist theory and literature, serving as a catalyst for further discussions about the multifaceted experiences of marginalized groups.

Summary of “Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks

1. Feminism and Mental Health:
   • bell hooks discusses the intersection of feminism and mental health, particularly how the contemporary feminist movement in the U.S. radicalized the notion of mental well-being. According to hooks, the movement emphasizes healing from the psychological wounds inflicted by sexism, requiring women to prioritize self-recovery as part of the revolutionary process. She explains that healing must begin within individuals as “the basic revolutionary unit” before it can extend to families and communities.
   • Quotation: “Revolution begins with the self. In the self, the individual is the basic revolutionary unit. She must be purged of poison and lies that assault the ego and threaten the heart” (hooks, 1995, p. 266).
2. The Impact of Sexism and Patriarchy:
   • hooks addresses the pervasive nature of sexism and patriarchal domination, explaining how it not only harms women but also damages men by fostering pathological behavior. She argues that both men and women must confront and heal from these issues to create healthier relationships and societies. Patriarchal values lead to “gender discrimination” that manifests in various forms of violence, oppression, and exploitation.
   • Quotation: “Patriarchy promotes pathological behavior in both genders, and that our wounded psyches had to be attended to not as a secondary aspect of revolutionary struggle but as a central starting point” (hooks, 1995, p. 268).
3. Challenges in Feminist Therapy:
   • Feminist therapy is presented as a crucial strategy for addressing mental health, yet it remains underutilized. hooks critiques mainstream therapy for often failing to consider the gender politics involved. She provides a personal example of her sister, who found healing through feminist therapy when more conventional methods ignored the role of sexism in her struggles.
   • Quotation: “It was only when, quite by accident, she went to see a progressive Black male therapist that she was able to confront the link between sexism and the difficulties she was facing at home” (hooks, 1995, p. 270).
4. Feminist Therapy as a Catalyst for Social Change:
   • hooks emphasizes the importance of feminist therapy in merging feminist political thought with movements for self-recovery. She believes that mental health must be integrated into feminist strategies for broader societal transformation. Feminist therapy, according to hooks, offers concrete strategies for living against the grain of a patriarchal culture and encourages self-actualization.
   • Quotation: “Feminist therapy might have an enormous role to play in providing women and men with ongoing strategies for coping with conversion to feminist politics” (hooks, 1995, p. 270).
5. The Role of Self-Help in Feminist Recovery:
   • hooks reflects on the value of self-help books in promoting self-actualization and mental health, especially for Black women. While feminist self-help books have often been dismissed in academic and intellectual circles, hooks defends their potential to empower individuals to take charge of their healing process.
   • Quotation: “By writing Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery, I was able to share the positive power of feminist thinking and practice—of feminist politics” (hooks, 1995, p. 271).
6. The Future of Feminist Movements:
   • The article concludes with a call for the evolution of feminist movements, focusing on creating concrete strategies for feminist change that address real-life circumstances. hooks highlights the need for mental health to become a central front in the revolutionary struggle for social justice and equality.
   • Quotation: “Mental health must be one of the new fronts of our revolutionary struggle” (hooks, 1995, p. 271).

Literary Terms/Concepts in “Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks

Literary Term/Concept	Description	Example from the Article
Feminist Therapy	A therapeutic approach that incorporates feminist principles, recognizing the influence of gender and patriarchy.	“Feminist therapy might have an enormous role to play in providing women and men with ongoing strategies for coping.”
Self-Actualization	The process of realizing one’s full potential and becoming the best version of oneself, often tied to mental health.	“We must pay attention to self-actualization… to use our imaginations to create self against the borders of identity.”
Patriarchal Domination	The societal structure where men hold primary power, leading to systemic oppression of women.	“Patriarchy promotes pathological behavior in both genders… wounding our psyches.”
Sexism	Discrimination or prejudice based on gender, often resulting in systemic oppression.	“Patriarchy promotes pathological behavior in both genders, and our wounded psyches had to be attended to.”
Revolutionary Struggle	A call for radical social change, often related to ending oppressive systems like sexism and racism.	“Any liberation struggle to end domination is fundamentally about a revolution in mental health.”
Critical Consciousness	Awareness of social, political, and economic contradictions, and the ability to take action against oppressive elements.	“We had to educate for critical consciousness in ways that would enable women and men to see patriarchy’s harm.”
Self-Recovery	The process of healing from psychological damage caused by oppressive systems like patriarchy and racism.	“Feminism… created a cultural revolution… movements for self-recovery.”
Therapeutic Strategies	Concrete methods used to heal and recover from mental and emotional harm.	“Feminist movement created therapeutic strategies for change that merged feminist political thought with self-recovery.”
Mass-Based Feminist Movement	A movement that aims to include all individuals across different social classes and races in the feminist struggle.	“The push to create feminist theory that will be legitimized within patriarchal institutions took focus away from mass-based feminism.”
Liberal Individualism	Focus on personal freedom and individual achievement, sometimes at the expense of collective action for social change.	“Liberal individualism seemed to preclude a sense of accountability to a world beyond the privatized self.”

Contribution of “Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks to Literary Theory/Theories

1. Feminist Theory:
   • Expansion of Feminist Therapy: hooks expands feminist theory by emphasizing the role of mental health and self-recovery in feminist activism. She argues that healing from the psychological wounds inflicted by sexism is a core element of revolutionary feminist practice.
   • Quotation: “We had to educate for critical consciousness in ways that would enable women and men to see that patriarchy promotes pathological behavior in both genders” (hooks, 1995, p. 268).
2. Psychoanalytic Feminism:
   • Intersection of Mental Health and Feminism: hooks integrates feminist theory with psychoanalysis by discussing how mental health is deeply influenced by sexist oppression. She highlights the importance of addressing psychological trauma as part of feminist liberation.
   • Quotation: “Feminist therapy might have an enormous role to play in providing women and men with ongoing strategies for coping with conversion to feminist politics” (hooks, 1995, p. 270).
3. Critical Theory:
   • Critique of Patriarchal Institutions: hooks critiques the ways in which patriarchal systems perpetuate oppression, suggesting that true liberation can only occur when both men and women confront the underlying power structures that reinforce sexist behavior.
   • Quotation: “Patriarchy promotes pathological behavior in both genders, and our wounded psyches had to be attended to not as a secondary aspect of revolutionary struggle but as a central starting point” (hooks, 1995, p. 268).
4. Cultural Studies:
   • Cultural Revolution through Feminist Thought: hooks contributes to cultural studies by arguing that feminism not only challenges sexism but also brings about a broader cultural revolution that requires changes in both thought and behavior.
   • Quotation: “Feminism created a cultural revolution. It does not matter that the energy for self-help and self-recovery generated by the feminist movement was appropriated by offensive self-help books” (hooks, 1995, p. 267).
5. Postcolonial Feminism:
   • Focus on Black Women’s Experience: hooks foregrounds the experiences of Black women and the unique psychological challenges they face due to both sexism and racism. This adds a postcolonial feminist dimension to her work by addressing the intersectionality of gender and race.
   • Quotation: “In individual Black females suffering psychologically…we had to educate for critical consciousness in ways that would enable women and men to see patriarchy’s harm” (hooks, 1995, p. 268).
6. Liberation Psychology:
   • Healing as Liberation: hooks draws from the framework of liberation psychology by advocating for mental health as an essential part of social and political liberation. She believes that the personal and psychological dimensions of oppression must be addressed in any movement for justice.
   • Quotation: “Any liberation struggle to end domination is fundamentally about a revolution in mental health” (hooks, 1995, p. 271).
7. Self-Help and Empowerment Theories:
   • Empowerment through Self-Help: By advocating for feminist self-help books, hooks contributes to empowerment theories that emphasize personal growth and agency. She suggests that self-help literature can empower individuals to take control of their mental health and personal development.
   • Quotation: “By writing Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery, I was able to share the positive power of feminist thinking and practice—of feminist politics” (hooks, 1995, p. 271).
8. Queer Theory:
   • Challenge to Heteronormativity and Gender Roles: Although not directly aligned with queer theory, hooks’ critique of traditional gender roles and her support for the disruption of patriarchal norms contribute to a broader challenge against heteronormative structures.
   • Quotation: “Patriarchy promotes pathological behavior in both genders, and our wounded psyches had to be attended to as part of revolutionary struggle” (hooks, 1995, p. 268).
9. Intersectionality:
   • Intersection of Race, Gender, and Mental Health: hooks’ work contributes to intersectional theory by analyzing the combined effects of race and gender oppression on the mental health of Black women. Her focus on multiple axes of identity and oppression highlights the importance of intersectionality in feminist theory.
   • Quotation: “It had become evident that Black females suffering psychologically were not prepared to lead the feminist revolution” (hooks, 1995, p. 268).

Examples of Critiques Through “Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks

Title of Literary Work	Critique Through bell hooks’ “Feminism: Crying for Our Souls”
The Awakening by Kate Chopin	Through bell hooks’ emphasis on self-actualization and feminist therapy, Chopin’s The Awakening can be critiqued for its portrayal of a woman, Edna Pontellier, seeking personal freedom from patriarchal constraints. However, Edna’s inability to find a therapeutic path to reconcile her mental anguish reflects hooks’ argument that women must heal from sexism to fully achieve liberation.
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys	bell hooks’ intersectionality critique, focusing on the psychological wounds of both racism and sexism, can be applied to Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea. Antoinette, the protagonist, suffers from colonial and gendered oppression, reinforcing hooks’ argument that feminist therapy must address both racial and gender trauma to facilitate true self-recovery.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman	The Yellow Wallpaper presents a powerful case for bell hooks’ argument on mental health in feminist theory. The protagonist’s descent into madness, caused by patriarchal medical practices that ignore her autonomy, reflects hooks’ call for feminist therapy that acknowledges the role of gender politics in mental health struggles.
Beloved by Toni Morrison	Morrison’s Beloved explores the trauma of slavery and its psychological effects on Black women, aligning with hooks’ discussion of mental health as a revolutionary struggle. Sethe’s battle with her past trauma and the need for self-recovery underscores hooks’ argument that healing from both racial and gender oppression is essential for self-actualization and liberation.

Criticism Against “Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks

1. Overemphasis on Individual Healing: Critics argue that hooks places too much focus on personal recovery and mental health, potentially diverting attention from collective political action against systemic sexism and patriarchy.
2. Lack of Practical Solutions for Broader Social Change: Some critics believe that while hooks emphasizes the need for self-recovery, she does not provide enough concrete strategies for dismantling patriarchy at the societal level, focusing more on individual experiences than systemic transformation.
3. Potential Alienation of Non-Black Audiences: By centering Black women’s experiences, hooks may unintentionally alienate non-Black readers, especially those who might not identify with the specific intersection of racial and gender oppression discussed in the text.
4. Limited Engagement with Economic and Class Issues: Some critics point out that hooks does not fully engage with the intersection of feminism and class struggles, leaving out an analysis of how economic inequality impacts women’s mental health and feminist liberation.
5. Romanticization of Feminist Therapy: Critics argue that hooks idealizes feminist therapy as a solution for women’s mental health issues, while overlooking the practical challenges, accessibility, and efficacy of therapy for marginalized women, particularly those without resources.
6. Neglect of Male Perspectives in Feminist Therapy: Although hooks discusses the need for men to confront patriarchy, some critics feel she does not adequately explore how feminist therapy might integrate or address men’s mental health within the feminist movement.
7. Criticism of Academic Focus: Hooks’ work has been critiqued for being too academic or theoretical, which may make it less accessible to the masses of women and men who could benefit from feminist self-recovery strategies.

Representative Quotations from “Feminism: Crying our Souls Out” by bell hooks with Explanation

Quotation	Context/Explanation
“Revolution begins with the self. In the self, the individual is the basic revolutionary unit.”	Hooks emphasizes the need for personal healing and self-transformation as a foundation for broader societal change.
“Patriarchy promotes pathological behavior in both genders.”	Hooks critiques patriarchy for damaging not only women but also men, leading to psychological harm across both genders.
“Feminist therapy might have an enormous role to play in providing women and men with ongoing strategies for coping.”	She advocates for the integration of feminist therapy to help individuals confront mental health issues resulting from sexism and patriarchal oppression.
“Mental health must be one of the new fronts of our revolutionary struggle.”	Hooks argues that addressing mental health is essential for the feminist movement and overall liberation from systemic oppression.
“We had to educate for critical consciousness in ways that would enable women and men to see patriarchy’s harm.”	Hooks stresses the importance of fostering critical awareness to help individuals understand the destructive impact of patriarchy on society.
“By writing Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery, I was able to share the positive power of feminist thinking and practice.”	She reflects on her own work as a means of providing Black women with the tools for mental health recovery and empowerment through feminist thought.
“Healing must begin within individuals before it can extend to families and communities.”	Hooks asserts that self-recovery and healing are necessary steps before broader social change can occur.
“It had become evident that Black females suffering psychologically were not prepared to lead the feminist revolution.”	Hooks highlights the psychological challenges faced by Black women, suggesting that self-recovery is needed for them to actively participate in feminist activism.
“Any liberation struggle to end domination is fundamentally about a revolution in mental health.”	She argues that all movements for social justice, including feminism, are inherently connected to improving mental health and healing psychological wounds.
“Liberal individualism seemed to preclude a sense of accountability to a world beyond the privatized self.”	Hooks critiques liberal individualism for focusing too much on personal freedom and success, often neglecting the collective responsibility for social change.

Suggested Readings: “Feminism: Crying out Souls Out” by bell hooks

1. hooks, bell. Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism. South End Press, 1981.
2. hooks, bell. Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery. South End Press, 1993.
3. hooks, bell. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. South End Press, 1984.
4. Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses.” Feminist Review, vol. 30, no. 1, 1988, pp. 61-88.
5. Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Routledge, 1990.
6. Lorde, Audre. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press, 1984.
7. Crenshaw, Kimberlé. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color.” Stanford Law Review, vol. 43, no. 6, 1991, pp. 1241-1299.
8. Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge, 1990.
9. Davis, Angela. Women, Race & Class. Vintage, 1983.
10. Bordo, Susan. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body. University of California Press, 1993.