Etymology and Meanings of “Feminism” Literary Theory
The term feminism is of French origin. It seems to have appeared in the late 19th century as feminisme which means being feminine or like women. The term was used earlier for feminine rights or by the people who advocated the rights of women. The term itself is suggestive of relating to women. Therefore, feminism means a philosophy that outlines women, their rights, figures, persona, identities, etc.
Definition of Feminism Literary Theory
From the etymology and meanings given above, it could be stated that feminism is a literary theory that stresses upon the feminine side of a story, showing how women act in the storyline, how they are presented in the setting, and how they are marginalized or not-marginalized etc.
Origin of “Feminism” Literary Theory
Despite having some freedom during the Grecian and Roman periods, women mostly found themselves in domestic situations, breeding and rearing the next generation. However, the Enlightenment brought a specific focus on inequality in gender, portraying women as subordinate to men. This thinking also penetrated the legal realm. It was as early as 1792 when Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, the real work for feminism started. Since then, there is no looking back as this little effort entered in every other sphere of life, giving rise to social movements, political campaigns, and ideologies based on gender equality and the removal of stereotypes.
With time, different governments gave birth to different feministic movements such as the first liberal feministic wave emerged in the 19th century, which gave way to Marxist feminism and later radical feminism replaced it. This second wave also highlighted patriarchal supremacy, giving rise to multicultural, black, and even intersectional feminism. With the arrival of literary theory, it also became an integral part of literature and the feminist approach to critique literary pieces also ensued in the literary realm.
Principles of Feminism Literary Theory
- Feminism literary theory assumes that patriarchy, generally, oppresses women in social, political, economic, and even legal realms.
- The second assumption is that women are subordinate to men and that they are kept in this subjugation psychologically.
- Patriarchy marginalizes femininity in every sphere of life.
- Western as well as eastern civilizations are deeply rooted in patriarchal ideology and hence keep femininity subjugated.
- Femininity is a cultural production and not biological discrimination.
- Feministic activity, traits, and features are analyzed through feminist literary theory.
- Gender plays a significant role in every cultural, political, and economic sphere.
Criticism Against Feminism Literary Theory
- Feminism is just a single lens to view a literary text. It is not a pervasive theme of every thematic strand.
- It limits the ability of the readers to view the texts from any other angle such as psychoanalytic, cultural, Freudian, or Marxian, indigenous, colonial or queer.
- This is a selective perception of some concepts that pervade everyday life.
- It highlights the debate on social constructions of gender.
- Feminist theory ignores biological facts that determine social construction.
- It often marginalizes patriarchy and projects feminism more than required.
Examples of Feminism Literary Theory
Example # 1
From “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage. John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures. John is a physician, and perhaps—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)—perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster. You see he does not believe I am sick!
This passage occurs in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s representative story, “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The anonymous protagonist of the story is a woman. In this passage, she states it clearly that the patriarchy represented by her husband, John, has the right to have an upper hand over the femininity that she represents. She knows that such things happen in life and patriarchy is always practical, while fanciful thinking goes to femininity. Yet, she highlights that this stereotypical thinking may cause psychological issues to women as she suffers from it and the practicality does not give due advantage to this thinking.
Example # 2
From “Hills like White Elephant” by Ernest Hemingway
The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station. Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Faraway, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees.” And we could have all this,” she said. “And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible.” “What did you say?” “I said we could have everything.” “We can have everything.” “No, we can’t.” “We can have the whole world.”
This conversation occurs between the girl and the American when they are at the railway station in “Hills like White Elephant, a short story of Hemingway. The girl is pregnant and wants to have a child. That is why she is looking beyond the moment, making the young man realize the future and what it holds for them in store. However, the has a terse and curt answer that is no. He wants an abortion. Therefore, this terse shows the patriarchy at work in making final decisions while femininity itself stays in the background by only working on verbal persuasion.
Example # 3
From “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of “killed.” He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message.
This passage occurs in the popular short story of Kate Chopin “The Story of an Hour.” The leanings of the story are clearly toward femininity when it presents the character of Mrs. Mallard who feels freedom and liberty when she receives the news of the death of her husband. However, when the contradictory news arrives, she instantly succumbs to the pressurssue that she has built in her heart about the suppression of patriarchy. This is how the feminism has been projected in literature.
From Literature, Criticism and Theory by Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royale
One way of understanding this claim would be in relation to the cultural construction of gender and sexuality. Reading Shakespeare can help us to think about ways in which sexuality is an unstable site of conflict and transgression, historically contingent, mobile, a performance. Writing at a time before categories of homo- and heterosexual desire had been institutionalized, medicalized, rigidified and policed, Shakespeare’s writing questions what it means to be a man or a woman, and what it means, as a man and as a woman, to desire men and to desire women.
This passage from the theoretical book of Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royale shows that feminism has been in vogue since the time of Shakespeare. The only difference is that the language was not evolved enough to encompass its difficult concepts into words. This passage shows how feminism has given birth to myriads of terms necessary to explain this theoretical concept.
Example # 4
From Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with: ‘I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.
This passage occurs in Pride and Prejudice. It shows that both male members are not as much eager to meet Mr. Bingley, the rich young man who is arriving in that area, as the women are. Therefore, it shows that patriarchy is not much concerned about the feminine issues of marriage, partying, and forming relationships during the Victorian period.
Keywords in Feminism Literary Theory
Femininity, feministic, sexuality, gender, sexual identity, gender identity, sexism, sexism, misogyny, misogynistic, patriarchal, patriarchy, hostile sexism, heterosexual and homosexual tendencies
