Feminist criticism is concerned with the manner in which women's financial, political, social and psychological oppression is strengthened or undermined by literature (and other cultural productions). This theory school examines how elements of our culture are fundamentally patriarchal (male dominated) and aims at exposing misogyny (dislike/hatred of women) in writing about females, which can take explicit and implicit forms.
Feminist criticism is at its heart concerned with stereotypical gender depictions. Thus, although there are many ideas that can be regarded through a feminist lens, feminist critique is mainly worried with a few concepts and problems that assist feminist critics examine gender politics in works, trace the subtle development of masculinity and femininity, and comprehend gender politics within literary works.
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Feminist critics claim that the oppression of women in patriarchal societies has continued for centuries. In this perspective, the social, financial, political, and psychological elements of women's oppression are directly linked to the traditional masculine dominance structure at the head of the family. In the ancient literary works of almost all cultures, patriarchal family structures are depicted.
Feminist criticism is roughly aligned with the three waves of feminism, so there are three rough periods of feminist critique, each with its own defining features, corresponding to the general political emancipation of women in each phase. The first wave of feminists (late 1700s-early 1900s) largely focused on inequalities between the sexes. The second wave of feminism (early 1960s-late 1970s) focused on establishing more equal working conditions. And the third wave of feminism (early 1990s-present) seeks to resist the perceived fundamentalist (overgeneralized, oversimplified) ideologies and the focus of second wave feminism on white, heterosexual, middle-class.
Feminist critique is applied to literature by examining the portrayals of the characters, the language of the text, the attitude of the author, and the interactions between characters. The author's obvious commentary on society as a whole is also considered by feminist critics.
Ultimately, as the wider feminist movement itself, feminist criticism asks us to consider the interactions between males and females and their relative positions in society. A lot of feminist criticism reminds us that the roles of males and women in culture are often unequal and reflective of a specific patriarchal ideology, often reflected in the manufacturing of literature and literary texts themselves.
In conclusion, my understanding of feminist criticism has improved my professional and personal effectiveness as my thoughts on the topic, feminism, were being researched and organized in the process. As I delved into the topic, I established my expertise and insights. I was greatly helped by this experience and explosion. My perspective on lifelong learning and personal professional development could be more transparent and appreciative in the future.
References
- CAMIA. (2018, 01, 22). Google. Retrieved from Women's Forum: https://women-s.net/feminist-literary-criticism/
- Napikoski, L. (2019, August 11). Google. Retrieved from ThoughtCo.: https://www.thoughtco.com/feminist-literary-criticism-3528960
- Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2019, October 07). Google. Retrieved from PURDUE UNIVERSITY: Purdue Online Writing Lab: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and_schools_of_criticism/feminist_criticism.html
- Tyson, L. (2006). Google. Retrieved from Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide.
- Yang, L. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved from https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/feminist-criticism
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