“Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter

“Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter was first published in 1979 as part of the collection The New Feminist Criticism: Essays on Women, Literature, and Theory. This essay holds significant importance in literature and literary theory as it introduced the concept of “gynocriticism,” a framework for understanding literature from a female perspective. Showalter’s work marked a pivotal moment in feminist literary criticism, as it sought to move beyond merely analyzing women’s representation in literature and instead focused on developing a distinct literary tradition rooted in women’s experiences and voices. Her contribution has had a lasting impact on the study of literature, encouraging the exploration of previously marginalized voices and fostering a more inclusive and diverse understanding of literary history.

Summary of “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter

Category	Feminist Critique	Gynocritics
Focus	Woman as the reader and consumer of male-produced literature	Woman as the writer and producer of textual meaning
Subjects	Stereotypes, omissions, misconceptions about women in literature and criticism; exploitation and manipulation of the female audience; analysis of woman-as-sign in semiotic systems	History, themes, genres, and structures of literature by women; psychodynamics of female creativity; linguistics and the problem of a female language; trajectory of the individual or collective female literary career; literary history; studies of particular writers and works
Limitations	Male-oriented, naturalizes victimization, dependent on male theories	–
Approach	Analyzes male-produced literature from a feminist perspective	Constructs a female framework for analyzing women’s literature, rediscovers female literary tradition, challenges orthodox literary history
Goals	Raises awareness of sexism in literature and criticism, promotes a more equitable and inclusive literary landscape	Establishes a unique feminist perspective and methodology, challenges traditional approaches, contributes to a more nuanced understanding of literature
Stages of Female Tradition	–	Feminine (1840-1880), Feminist (1880-1920), Female (1920 onwards)
Theoretical Approaches	Revises existing ideologies (Marxist aesthetics, structuralism), develops new approaches	Integrates intelligence and experience, challenges traditional notions of rationality and subjectivity
Conclusion	Seeks to create a more equitable and inclusive literary landscape	Aims to establish a unique feminist perspective and methodology, challenge traditional approaches, contribute to a more nuanced understanding of literature

Literary Terms/Concepts in “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter

Term/Concept	Definition	Example
Feminist Critique	A type of literary criticism that analyzes literature from a feminist perspective, focusing on the representation of women and gender roles.	The analysis of the stereotypical portrayal of women as passive and dependent in Victorian novels.
Gynocritics	A specialized discourse that studies women as writers and producers of textual meaning, focusing on the history, themes, genres, and structures of literature by women.	The examination of Virginia Woolf’s use of stream-of-consciousness narrative to explore female subjectivity.
Feminine Stage	A period in the development of the female literary tradition characterized by women writing in an effort to equal the intellectual achievements of men but internalizing male assumptions about female nature.	The use of male pseudonyms by many women writers in the 19th century.
Feminist Stage	A period in the development of the female literary tradition characterized by women rejecting the accommodating postures of femininity and using literature to dramatize the ordeals of wronged womanhood.	Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” as a critique of patriarchal oppression.
Female Stage	A period in the development of the female literary tradition characterized by women rejecting both imitation and protest and turning to female experience as the source of an autonomous art.	Dorothy Richardson’s “Pilgrimage” as a groundbreaking exploration of female consciousness.
Male-Oriented	Focusing on male perspectives and stereotypes, neglecting women’s own experiences and feelings.	The analysis of literature primarily through the lens of male characters and authors.
Naturalization of Victimization	Tending to portray women’s victimization as inevitable and obsessive.	The frequent depiction of women as passive victims of male oppression in certain literary works.
Dependency on Male Theories	Relying heavily on male theoretical frameworks, limiting its originality and independence.	The use of Freudian psychoanalysis to analyze female characters without considering the limitations of its androcentric perspective.
Female Framework	A framework for analyzing women’s literature based on female experience.	The development of new critical approaches that take into account the specific experiences and perspectives of women.
Rediscovery of Female Tradition	The process of reconstructing the past of women’s literature and establishing the continuity of the female tradition.	The recovery of lost or forgotten works by women writers.
Challenge to Orthodox Literary History	Questioning the periodicity and canons of traditional literary history.	The re-evaluation of the canon of English literature to include more women writers.
Feminist Adaptation	The process of adapting existing critical theories and methodologies to include the variable of gender.	The application of Marxist analysis to women’s literature to examine the relationship between class and gender.
New Criticism	A literary critical movement that emphasized the close analysis of the text itself, focusing on its formal elements and internal coherence.	The analysis of the symbolism and imagery in Emily Dickinson’s poems.
Post-Structuralism	A critical approach that challenges the idea of a stable and fixed meaning in language and texts, emphasizing the play of signifiers and the deconstruction of binary oppositions.	The analysis of the multiple meanings and interpretations of a literary text.

Contribution of “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter to Literary Theory/Theories

• Feminist Critique as Ideological Inquiry: Showalter highlights the feminist critique’s role in examining how literature and criticism reflect and perpetuate patriarchal ideologies. She asserts, “The feminist critique is essentially political and polemical, with theoretical affiliations to Marxist sociology and aesthetics.” This perspective underscores the critique’s focus on how women’s representation in literature is shaped by male-dominated ideologies, leading to a deeper understanding of gender dynamics in literary texts.
• Introduction of Gynocritics: Showalter introduces “gynocritics” as a new avenue in feminist literary criticism, focusing on women as writers rather than just as readers of male literature. She explains, “The programme of gynocritics is to construct a female framework for the analysis of women’s literature, to develop new models based on the study of female experience.” This contribution is foundational in shifting the focus from male-centric literary history to a literature shaped by women’s experiences and creativity.
• Critique of Male-Oriented Feminist Analysis: Showalter critiques the limitations of feminist analysis when it is overly focused on male literature, noting, “One of the problems of the feminist critique is that it is male-oriented… we are not learning what women have felt and experienced, but only what men have thought women should be.” By pointing out this limitation, she emphasizes the need for a feminist literary approach that centers on women’s voices and experiences rather than just responding to male representations.
• Reconstruction of Female Literary History: Showalter argues for the importance of reconstructing women’s literary history, which has been marginalized or ignored. She writes, “Before we can even begin to ask how the literature of women would be different and special, we need to reconstruct its past, to rediscover the scores of women novelists, poets and dramatists whose work has been obscured by time.” This reconstruction is crucial for understanding the continuity and development of a female literary tradition, challenging the dominant male literary canon.
• Development of a Female Literary Tradition: Showalter outlines the evolution of a female literary tradition through the stages she identifies as Feminine, Feminist, and Female. She describes this progression, stating, “In the Female phase, ongoing since 1920, women reject both imitation and protest… and turn instead to female experience as the source of an autonomous art.” This theoretical framework helps to chart the development of women’s literature as an independent and evolving tradition, distinct from male-dominated literary forms.
• Critique of Existing Literary Theories: Showalter criticizes the limitations of existing literary theories, such as Marxism and structuralism, when applied to feminist criticism. She observes, “Feminist criticism cannot go around forever in men’s ill-fitting hand-me-downs… but must… guide itself by its own impulses.” This critique calls for the development of feminist literary theories that are not constrained by the methodologies and ideologies of traditional male-dominated criticism.
• Challenge to the Scientific Approach in Literary Criticism: Showalter challenges the “scientific” approach in literary criticism that seeks to purge subjectivity and prioritize formal analysis. She notes, “While scientific criticism struggles to purge itself of the subjective, feminist criticism is willing to assert… The Authority of Experience.” This assertion positions feminist criticism as valuing the lived experiences of women, which are often dismissed by more formalist or scientific critical approaches.
• Integration of Feminist Criticism into Broader Literary Discourse: Showalter calls for feminist criticism to find its own voice and language, integrating intellectual rigor with personal and collective experiences of women. She concludes, “The task of feminist critics is to find a new language, a new way of reading that can integrate our intelligence and our experience, our reason and our suffering.” This call emphasizes the importance of feminist criticism as a permanent and transformative force in literary studies, one that is not just reactive but proactive in shaping new literary discourses.

Examples of Critiques Through “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter

Literary Work	Concept	Critique
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë	Feminine Stage	Jane Eyre’s struggle for independence and self-determination, while ultimately conforming to societal expectations of femininity, exemplifies the complexities of the Feminine Stage.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman	Feminist Stage	The narrator’s descent into madness is a powerful critique of patriarchal control and the stifling effects of domestic confinement, reflecting the themes of the Feminist Stage.
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf	Female Stage	Woolf’s experimental narrative technique and exploration of female consciousness, particularly through the character of Clarissa Dalloway, represent the Female Stage’s focus on autonomous female experience.
Beloved by Toni Morrison	Gynocritics	Morrison’s novel delves into the traumatic experiences of enslaved women, challenging the dominant narrative of history and offering a counter-narrative from the perspective of marginalized voices, exemplifying the goals of Gynocritics.

Criticism Against “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter

• Essentialism: Some critics argue that Showalter’s approach is essentialist, assuming a monolithic female experience and ignoring the diversity of women’s voices and perspectives.
• Overemphasis on Gender: Showalter’s focus on gender can sometimes overshadow other important factors, such as class, race, and sexuality, that intersect with gender identity.
• Historical Limitations: Her analysis of the female literary tradition is primarily focused on Western literature, neglecting the contributions of women writers from other cultures and time periods.
• Oversimplification of Stages: The categorization of the female literary tradition into three distinct stages may be overly simplistic and fail to capture the complexity of women’s writing.
• Neglect of Male-Authored Texts: While Showalter focuses on women’s literature, some critics argue that a comprehensive feminist analysis should also consider male-authored texts and their representations of women.
• Eurocentric Bias: Showalter’s analysis is primarily Eurocentric, neglecting the contributions of women writers from non-Western cultures.
• Limited Engagement with Theory: While Showalter engages with some theoretical frameworks, her analysis is not always deeply grounded in theoretical concepts, limiting the depth and sophistication of her arguments.
• Overemphasis on Biographical Context: Some critics argue that Showalter places too much emphasis on the biographical context of women writers, neglecting the importance of textual analysis.

 Suggested Readings: “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter

1. Showalter, Elaine. A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontë to Lessing. Princeton University Press, 1977. https://press.princeton.edu
2. Showalter, Elaine. “Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness.” Critical Inquiry, vol. 8, no. 2, 1981, pp. 179-205. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/ci/current
3. Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Yale University Press, 1979.
   https://yalebooks.yale.edu
4. Moi, Toril. Sexual/Textual Politics: Feminist Literary Theory. Methuen, 1985.
   https://www.routledge.com
5. Jacobson, Kristin J. “Gynocriticism Revisited: Nineteenth-Century American Women Writers and the Exclusion of Regionalism.” Legacy, vol. 21, no. 1, 2004, pp. 44-62.
   https://www.jstor.org/journal/legacy
6. Kolodny, Annette. “Dancing through the Minefield: Some Observations on the Theory, Practice, and Politics of a Feminist Literary Criticism.” Feminist Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, 1980, pp. 1-25. https://www.feministstudies.org
7. Cixous, Hélène. “The Laugh of the Medusa.” Signs, vol. 1, no. 4, 1976.
   https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/signs/current

Representative Quotations from “Towards A Feminist Poetics” by Elaine Showalter with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“Feminist criticism can be divided into two distinct varieties: the feminist critique and gynocritics.”	Showalter introduces the two main approaches in feminist criticism, laying the foundation for her subsequent analysis.
“The feminist critique is essentially political and polemical, with theoretical affiliations to Marxist sociology and aesthetics.”	This quote highlights the feminist critique’s focus on ideology and its connections to Marxist theory, emphasizing its role in challenging patriarchal structures.
“Gynocritics begins at the point when we free ourselves from the linear absolutes of male literary history.”	Showalter describes gynocritics as a break from male-dominated literary traditions, advocating for the development of a female-centered literary framework.
“The programme of gynocritics is to construct a female framework for the analysis of women’s literature.”	This quote outlines the goal of gynocritics: to create a literary analysis that is rooted in women’s experiences and perspectives, rather than adapting male models.
“We need to reconstruct its past, to rediscover the scores of women novelists, poets, and dramatists whose work has been obscured by time.”	Showalter emphasizes the importance of recovering and acknowledging the contributions of women writers who have been neglected in literary history.
“In the Female phase, ongoing since 1920, women reject both imitation and protest… and turn instead to female experience as the source of an autonomous art.”	This quote describes the “Female” phase, where women writers seek to create literature based on their own experiences, independent of male influence.
“Feminist criticism cannot go around forever in men’s ill-fitting hand-me-downs.”	Showalter argues that feminist criticism must develop its own theories and methodologies, rather than relying on those created by men.
“The task of feminist critics is to find a new language, a new way of reading that can integrate our intelligence and our experience.”	This statement calls for the creation of a new critical language that bridges the gap between intellectual analysis and lived experience in feminist criticism.
“Feminist criticism is willing to assert… The Authority of Experience.”	Showalter highlights the value of women’s lived experiences in feminist criticism, challenging traditional literary theories that prioritize objectivity.
“The new sciences of the text… have offered literary critics the opportunity to demonstrate that the work they do is as manly and aggressive as nuclear physics.”	This quote critiques the masculinization of literary criticism through overly scientific approaches, which often marginalize feminist perspectives.