Literary Criticism Of Feminist Criticism - 1145 Words

Task 2 - Literary Criticism A. Summary of Literary Criticism: Feminist criticism is a literary criticism that is grounded upon the feminist theory, or by the politics of feminism. This analysis can be applied through feminist principles and gender equality to critique the language and structure of literature. Basic methods of feminist criticism include identifying with female characters and reevaluating the world in which literary works are read. B. Answers to bulleted questions: †¢ How is the relationship between men and women portrayed? Both men and women in Brave New World have very different roles in society. The novel clearly shows that men are superior in all areas of life, such as work positions and the way they act. However, women maintain a higher standing in social situations. Males are leaders of the World State whereas females are treated as sex objects. †¢ What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles)? In the workplace, men are represented as physically and mentally superior to women. This dominance is shown at the very beginning of the novel when all the students touring the Hatchery are males. The high positions in the World State are also held by men. Bernard and Helmholtz are the leaders of propaganda, Henry and the Director control the hatchery, and Mustapha Mond is ¬ mainly in charge of the government. †¢ How are male and female roles defined? The women in Brave New World are not seen as a fundamental partShow MoreRelated Feminist Literary Criticism and Lysistrata Essay1832 Words   |  8 Pagesfact originally led feminist critics to disregard the classical period. In an article titled â€Å"Classical Drag: The Greek Creation of Female Parts,† Sue Ellen Case states that because â€Å"traditional scholarship has focused on evidence related to written texts, the absence of women playwrights became central to early feminist investigations† (132). 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Feminist literary criticism is defined as, â€Å"literary analysis that arises from the viewpoint of feminism, feminist theory and/or feminist politics† (Napikoski). There are a number of aims that feminist literary theory fights for. One is teaching readers to see things from a woman character’s point of view in a written work, as manyRead More Virginia Woolf as Feminist and a Psychoanalyst Essay1864 Words   |  8 PagesVirginia Woolf as Feminist and a Psychoanalyst When first introduced to the feminist and psychoanalytical approaches to literary criticism, it seems obvious that the two methods are opposed to each other; at the very least, one method -the psychoanalytic - would appear antagonistic to feminism. After all, there is much in Freuds earlier theories that a feminist would find appalling. It also seems to be a conflict that the feminists are winning: as feminist criticism gains in popularityRead MoreFeminist Theory Applied to Hamlet2809 Words   |  12 PagesRepresenting Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism Elaine Showalter Though she is neglected in criticism, Ophelia is probably the most frequently illustrated and cited of Shakespeare’s heroines. Her visibility as a subject in literature, popular culture, and painting, from Redon who paints her drowning, to Bob Dylan, who places her on Desolation Row, to Cannon Mills, which has named a flowery sheet pattern after her, is in inverse r elation to her invisibility inRead MoreEssay about The Effects of Femininity1571 Words   |  7 PagesIn order to understand the effects that ideas of femininity have on literary texts, we must first acknowledge what the term means. Clearly both terms derive from the original sex of the being, whether male or female, and can be similarly tied in with notions of gender, either masculine or feminine, which are said to be constructs, or labels, created by society. However `masculinity and `femininity become, on some levels, dislodged from the idea of the biological makeup and gender constructs,Read MoreA Female Reader’s Perception of Ovid’s Metamorphoses Essay820 Words   |  4 Pagesmodern female reader will in some way feel challenged by the themes Ovid presents to her – scenes of rape, male dominance and frequent victimisation of female characters. In support of this thesis, I have been analysing feminist theories and the genre of gender in a literary context in order to support my investigations into what it is that makes Ovid particularly distressing to read for a female reader. I will be discussing themes such as how a female reads and approaches male biased texts suchRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin1479 Words   |  6 Pagesestablished 19th century perspective of women upholding strictly maternal and matrimonial responsibilities. Edna’s candid exploration of the restrictions on women through her liberal behavior in a conservative Victorian society makes her a literary symbol for feminist ideals. Despite denunciation from other people, Edna chooses individuality over conformity through her veering from traditional obligations. Edna indulges in her love of art, which is considered to conflict with her expected singular devotionRead MoreCritical Theory2567 Words   |  11 Pagesstereotypes in a patriarchal and imperialistic ‘white European male ’ dominated society, thus overthrowing centuries of colonization, subordination, marginalization and  exploitation Feminists seek to reconstruct decrepit ideas of femininity, and extinguish female oppression over the years. Feminist literary criticism, in the first and seconds waves, critique patriarchal language, by exposing how these reflect masculine ideology. It examines the gender politics and pre-conditioned, constructed sexRead MoreFeminist Literary Criticism in Indian Camp By Ernest Hemingway1333 Words   |  6 PagesFeminist Literary Criticism in Indian Camp By Ernest Hemingway In the short story â€Å"Indian Camp†, by Ernest Hemingway, many controversies arise about the idea of feminism in the text. Feminism is a general term used to describe advocating women’s rights socially, politically, and making equal rights to those of men. Feminist criticism is looked through a â€Å"lens† along the line of gender roles in literature, the value of female characters within the text, and interpreting the perspective from which