Pizan so obviously from the start of her writing, introduces how women should behave (from the perspective of a princess), so that her actions shall be beneficial to her and her husband. By talking about the finances, which is radical, Pizan degrades women in all other aspects. Degrading is used in the sense that she does not promote equality in any other way other than the financial aspect. These women could be considered early feminists if they looked for equality in other things as well not just a specific
The knight’s tale, an alliterative romance and one of the better-known Arthurian stories, and the wife’s tale, the best-known of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, give insight into the specific roles of women in the late Middle Ages. The two tales want the reader to determine and recognize that the women are mostly portrayed as manipulative seductresses. Many times a woman is blamed for a man’s fall from goodness to evil. Other times, the plots include women who meet the expectations of what some during the times believed women should be—more reflective to the bible, loyal to their husbands, pure, sweet, and helpless. In the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Lady Bertilak, the main female character and the most important characters in this medieval poem, is prompted by her husband to discover if Sir Gawain is pure or not.
In this novel, Julia Alvarez manages to capture and express the true feelings of women which deconstructs the stereotypes through Yo. Feminism is defined as “a political movement that works to achieve equal rights for women and men” (Hirsch 113). For the past ages, women were seen in the society as inferior to men and were greatly excluded from education and the right to property ownership. A British feminist named Mary Wollstonecraft argues, “educational restrictions keep women in a state of ignorance and slavish dependence” (Blake 117). The shattering of classifications and stereotypes, and the subversion of traditional gender roles, and the concept of sisterhood or unity among women are among the main tenets of feminist criticism.
Elizabeth Lloyd sought the topic of female orgasm as an area of strong interest and delved into the topic to essentially source its origin. In doing so, Lloyd collectively analysed and criticised several theories that as a majority, represented the idea that female orgasm is an evolutionary adaptation. In particular, Lloyd placed emphasis on those that say it stems from evolutionary pressure and critiques each theory. In return, Lloyd proposes her very own idea; that female orgasm is not directly associated to sexual reproduction. In fact, that is another theory she criticises alongside with hormonal determination of sexual behaviour and pair bonding.
John Lyly wrote “Euphues and His England,” to describe how great a queen, Queen Elizabeth is. Even though these speeches are all about women’s authority, they have their own differences as well as similarities. In Knox’s speech, he talks about how he thinks women are unfit to rule over men. He uses a variety of vocabulary and appeals to convince the audience that woman should not rule over men. In Lyly’s speech, he states how great the Queen is.
She was convinced that she had more right to rule over England compared to Elizabeth. Mary was the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s older sister, while Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, a union that was much criticized as illegal and immoral. Elizabeth suggested that Mary marry Lord Robert Dudley and become heir to Elizabeth (who never married and was thus childless). Instead, Mary entered into a series of impetuous romantic relationships, starting with Lord Darnley; her secretary David Rizzio, and James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell who was suspected of killing Darnley. As a result of these romantic relationships, Mary had to abdicate her crown in favor of her young son, and flee to England.
In Katherine Wilson’s “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” she begins with a powerful introduction saying “this is about hair, breasts, and identity” (Wilson 21), insinuating it is going to be a gender identity piece. Reading more of the first page, you assume the thesis is about the common misconceptions of how a woman is supposed to look and how not looking that way could take away from a woman being a woman. Wilson gives the example of her hair being buzzed and people looking at her differently. Although she tries to argue the hardships of not looking like the normal female, Wilson’s argument fails to meet the rest of her story. She claims her argument is about “hair, breasts, and identity,” she is really just ranting and raving her being disrespected and her own issues of being black.
Cher’s deviation from Emma’s character highlights the changing representation of feminism and femininity in the last few decades. Cher is a representation of post-feminism, in that she rejects the 1970’s notion of feminism as opposed to femininity . Rather, Cher embraces femininity while also being a figure of authority amongst her fellow peers i.e. the debate scene highlights Cher’s confidence and in the scene of her attempted courtship of Christian, close ups of Cher’s full, red lips attest to her sexual appeal. Jacinda Read describes this as a form of “popular feminism.” This demonstrates a drastic shift from Austen’s time as women can now seek educational pursuits and financial independence.
Wollstonecraft, a European author, also wrote about the oppression of women. Her essay, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, was written in response to the new French Constitution in 1792, following the French Revolution which declared women excluded from all public areas. She asks the question, ‘What achievement suggests one person is more important than the other?’ Virtue is, she writes, the virtues of freedom to make your own decisions about your life and your family (Wollstonecraft, 1792). She also suggested that a woman who is educated and is allowed to practice the virtues of life will become an equal and not a dependent of her husband. What women must have felt at being officially excluded from public areas among other oppressive social behaviors was likely beyond humiliating.
The growing power of this ‘religious right’ heightened feminist fears that the gains women had made in previous decades would be reversed. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood explores the consequences of the reversal of women’s rights. In the novel’s dystopian world of Gilead, a group of conservative religious extremists has taken power and turned the sexual revolution on its head. What feminists considered the great triumphs of the 1970s—widespread access to contraception, the legalisation of abortion, and the increasing political influence of female voters—have all been undone. Women in Gilead are not only forbidden to vote, they are forbidden to read or write, dress codes are used as a way to subjugate them; ordinary colours become symbolic of their social status while masking individuality, which is discouraged in the regime.