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. In the words of Catherine Besley, she mentioned that the cultural construction of subjectivity is one of the central issues for feminism (qtd. in Con Davis and Schleifer, 355). All women are feminists. However, it cannot be denied that women still experience the effects
Lillian Eileen Doherty is Associate Professor of Classics, University of Maryland, College Park. Praise / Awards "Applying an elegant blend of narratological and audience-oriented analytic strategies, Doherty argues that, for the late twentieth-century woman reader (as well as the male reader of lower-class status), the Odyssey must be considered a problematic text. In contrast to the bulk of Greco-Roman literature, it assumes the presence of females in its implied audience and offers them positive subject positions with which to identify--those of privileged, intelligent women like Penelope and Arete. Yet, by restricting the narratological operations of such 'good' women to the secondary function of
Good observations about this story Hamdi. Let’s consider some elements and themes found in this story. How are gender issues treated in this story? Is Silko a feminist or is she merely reinforcing patriarchal stereotypes? Is the narrator breaking free from oppression or merely giving in to a new oppressor?
Another approach to her writings can be taken. Could Peggy McIntosh be elevating the “privileged ” even more by placing the focus on them? In Audre Lorde’s, the most powerful argument made, was differences can promote healthy debate and lead to a harmonious interdependency; the path to freedom. In Friedan’s piece she focuses solely on the plight of middle - class white women, and does not give enough attention to the differing situations encountered by women in less stable economic situations, women of other races or sexuality. Could Friedan’s studies be viewed as
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.
Hawthorne’s fabrication of Hester gives the reader an indication of Hawthorne’s opinion on the female gender. “Hawthorne’s pro-woman novel retains its value to feminist literature for its depiction of circumscribed female lives” (Snodgrass). Hawthorne is sympathetic to Hester and shows her strong and ambitious side throughout the novel. He creates this likeable character by analyzing her psyche, picking out specific traits in order to engage the reader, and giving her ambitious actions to carry out in order to show the reader her full potential. Hester Prynne is the wife of a man named Chilingworth, who has sent Hester to live in a village near Boston.
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
Evaluate Feminist views on the role and function of religion in society today (33) As a Social Systems, conflict perspective, feminists largely agree that society is patriarchal or male dominated. Radical feminists in particular regard religious institutions as patriarchal as they reflect and perpetuate this gender inequality within society. Moreover, they see religious beliefs as patriarchal ideologies that legitimate women’s subordination. By contrast, liberal feminists are more positive about the function of religion in society today and see ‘signs of hope’ with regards to the role it may play in helping to liberate women from their oppression and subordination. This essay will outline and assess each approach in turn.
This was true in the 1840’s and 1850’s, in the post World War I years, and in the 1960’s. I found that one of the earlier feminist novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Hurston was controversial but also helped lead the path to progression of the feminist movement. Her work fell between not romanticizing Black folk life, and not condemning it either. The focus of the novel’s integrity and women-centered approach was the protagonist search for identity through a relationship with the Black community rather than White society.” (Giddings, p. 193) By the late twenties, Hurston’s perspective began to permeate the political thinking of Black women. During this time, Black feminism took place full force.
The Awakening “The Awakening” is a novel that depicts the life of a woman in a time where women were considered inferior to men and were expected to conform to the ways they were expected to act. Throughout “The Awakening”, Edna Pontellier encounters numerous situations where she is facing problems that goes against the prevailing attitude of society in America at this time in history. The allusions to the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self Reliance”, which discusses individualism of the human being and the importance of independence and non-conformity, contribute to the tone of the story and help the reader relate to what Edna is feeling. The main ideas of this story are the expression of one’s self through individualism, self thought,