Feminist and Queer Criticism
Hello Readers…!!!
This blog is a task given by Dilip Barad sir H.O.D. of English Department M.K.B.U. In this blog I am going to briefly discuss two theories Feminist and Queer criticism, and try to give some examples from literature.
Feminism
History and theory of feminism
The term feminism can be used to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal protection for women. Feminism involves political and sociological theories and philosophies concerned with issues of gender difference, as well as a movement that advocates gender equality for women and campaigns for women's rights and interests. Although the terms "feminism" and "feminist" did not gain widespread use until the 1970s, they were already being used in the public parlance much earlier; for instance, Katherine Hepburn speaks of the "feminist movement" in the 1942 film Woman of the Year.
According to Maggie Humm and Rebecca Walker, the history of feminism can be divided into three waves. The first feminist wave was in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the second was in the 1960s and 1970s, and the third extends from the 1990s to the present. Feminist theory emerged from these feminist movements. It is manifest in a variety of disciplines such as feminist geography, feminist history and feminist literary criticism.
Feminism has altered predominant perspectives in a wide range of areas within Western society, ranging from culture to law. Feminist activists have campaigned for women's legal rights (rights of contract, property rights, voting rights); for women's right to bodily integrity and autonomy, for abortion rights, and for reproductive rights (including access to contraception and quality prenatal care); for protection of women and girls from domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape;for workplace rights, including maternity leave and equal pay; against misogyny; and against other forms of gender-specific discrimination against women.
During much of its history, most feminist movements and theories had leaders who were predominantly middle-class white women from Western Europe and North America. However, at least since Sojourner Truth's 1851 speech to American feminists, women of other races have proposed alternative feminisms. This trend accelerated in the 1960s with the Civil Rights movement in the United States and the collapse of European colonialism in Africa, the Caribbean, parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia. Since that time, women in former European colonies and the Third World have proposed "Post-colonial" and "Third World" feminisms. Some Postcolonial Feminists, such as Chandra Talpade Mohanty, are critical of Western feminism for being ethnocentric. Black feminists, such as Angela Davis and Alice Walker, share this view.
History
Simone de Beauvoir wrote that "the first time we see a woman take up her pen in defense of her sex" was Christine de Pizan who wrote Epitre au Dieu d'Amour (Epistle to the God of Love) in the 15th century. Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Modesta di Pozzo di Forzi worked in the 16th century. Marie Le Jars de Gournay, Anne Bradstreet and Francois Poullain de la Barre wrote during the 17th.
Feminists and scholars have divided the movement's history into three "waves". The first wave refers mainly to women's suffrage movements of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (mainly concerned with women's right to vote). The second wave refers to the ideas and actions associated with the women's liberation movement beginning in the 1960s (which campaigned for legal and social rights for women). The third wave refers to a continuation of, and a reaction to the perceived failures of, second-wave feminism, beginning in the 1990s.
First wave
First-wave feminism refers to an extended period of feminist activity during the nineteenth century and early twentieth century in the United Kingdom and the United States. Originally it focused on the promotion of equal contract and property rights for women and the opposition to chattel marriage and ownership of married women (and their children) by their husbands. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, activism focused primarily on gaining political power, particularly the right of women's suffrage. Yet, feminists such as Voltairine de Cleyre and Margaret Sanger were still active in campaigning for women's sexual, reproductive, and economic rights at this time. In 1854, Florence Nightingale established female nurses as adjuncts to the military.
Second wave
Second-wave feminism refers to the period of activity in the early 1960s and lasting through the late 1980s. The scholar Imelda Whelehan suggests that the second wave was a continuation of the earlier phase of feminism involving the suffragettes in the UK and USA. Second-wave feminism has continued to exist since that time and coexists with what is termed third-wave feminism. The scholar Estelle Freedman compares first and second-wave feminism saying that the first wave focused on rights such as suffrage, whereas the second wave was largely concerned with other issues of equality, such as ending discrimination.
Simone de Beauvoir and The Second Sex
The French author and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir wrote novels; monographs on philosophy, politics, and social issues; essays; biographies; and an autobiography. She is now best known for her metaphysical novels, including She Came to Stay and The Mandarins, and for her treatise The Second Sex, a detailed analysis of women's oppression and a foundational tract of contemporary feminism. Written in 1949, its English translation was published in 1953. It sets out a feminist existentialism which prescribes a moral revolution. As an existentialist, she accepted Jean-Paul Sartre's precept that existence precedes essence; hence "one is not born a woman, but becomes one." Her analysis focuses on the social construction of Woman as the Other. This de Beauvoir identifies as fundamental to women's oppression. She argues women have historically been considered deviant and abnormal and contends that even Mary Wollstonecraft considered men to be the ideal toward which women should aspire. De Beauvoir argues that for feminism to move forward, this attitude must be set aside.
Examples of Feminist work
Feminist novels explore themes related to women's experiences, gender roles, inequality, and the struggle for empowerment. Here are a few examples of influential feminist novels:
1. "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë:
Published in 1847, this classic novel follows the life of Jane Eyre, an orphaned governess. It explores themes of female independence, social class, and the quest for self-respect and equality in a male-dominated society.
2. "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood:
Set in a dystopian future, this novel (1985) portrays a society where women are subjugated and stripped of their rights. It critiques patriarchal norms, control over women's bodies, and explores themes of reproductive rights and gender oppression.
3. "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker:
Published in 1982, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of Celie, an African American woman in the early 20th century South. It addresses themes of racism, sexism, female solidarity, and the struggle for self-identity and liberation.
4. "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath:
This semi-autobiographical novel (1963) reflects on the mental health struggles of Esther Greenwood, highlighting societal expectations placed on women, the challenges of patriarchy, and the search for personal autonomy.
5. "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin:
Published in 1899, this novel follows Edna Pontellier, a woman trapped in the confines of late 19th-century societal expectations. It explores themes of female sexuality, marriage, and the quest for individual fulfillment beyond traditional roles.
6."Beloved" by Toni Morrison:
Set after the American Civil War, this novel (1987) tells the story of Sethe, an African American woman who escaped slavery. It addresses the trauma of slavery, motherhood, and the quest for freedom and self-definition.
These feminist novels have contributed significantly to discussions about gender equality, women's rights, and societal expectations. They challenge traditional norms and continue to resonate with readers by exploring the complexities of women's lives and the struggles for agency and recognition in various social contexts.
Queer Criticism
Queer theory in literature involves the application of queer theoretical principles to literary texts to understand and explore the lived experience of LGBTQIA+. Queer theory as literary criticism interprets and critiques the representation of LGBTQIA+ identities and themes in literature, often challenging heteronormative perspectives and binary categorizations of gender and sexuality.
Queer theory as an academic study is considered to have begun in the 1990s. This was a time when issues of queer identity were becoming increasingly discussed in the mainstream. Queer theory had previously been dubbed gay and lesbian studies, but over time the term 'queer' was thought to be more all-encompassing as it included all LGBTQ+ identities. For many queer theorists, it was also a reclamation of what had been and continued to be a slur.
Queer theory explores issues of sexuality and identity. It discusses how these identities are formed and how much of the binaries humans adhere to are actually socially constructed. Queer theory encourages exploration beyond the bounds of cisgender and heterosexual existence. Queer theorists analyze sexuality and identity outside of stereotypes and traditional perceptions. As it emerged as an academic discipline, queer theory became a whole new way to consider human sexuality and identity without restrictions or boundaries.
Queer theory: main ideas
Queer theory is a broad area of literary criticism with many different avenues, but there are some things that the majority of queer theory has in common.
Questioning established norms: Queer theory challenges stereotypical ideas that everyone is cisgender and heterosexual. They expand upon the wide varieties of sexuality and gender identity.
Stereotypes as social constructs: Most queer theorists argue that traditional conceptions of sexuality and gender are socially constructed. How humans develop is highly based on the environment around them and the influences they receive.
Critiquing powerful institutions: Another important tenant of queer theory is dismantling hierarchies. The lens of queer theory is used to criticize those in power and how they may be operating in a discriminatory or restrictive way.
Exploration of LGBTQ+ life: Queer theory also sheds light on the often untold stories and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. This normalizes these stories and fights oppression.
Challenging binaries: Queer theory deconstructs traditional binaries that are placed upon sexuality and gender by society. It instead argues that humans are much more fluid than this, and this should be explored, not demonized.
Judith Butler: queer theory
Judith Butler is a seminal and foundational figure in queer theory. She is also key in the realm of women's studies. Her 1990 text Gender Trouble is thought to have been essential in queer theory developing as an academic discipline.
In Gender Trouble, Butler argues that traditional conceptions of gender are a social construct. She dubs gender as a performance. People perform a specific set of actions that are traditionally associated with the sex they are born as and dub this gender.
Butler believes there is no one way to be a man or a woman. There are no universal definitions of the two sexes. Butler also particularly focuses on the issues of women in Gender Trouble. She disagrees with the idea that women can be treated as a monolithic group with all similar characteristics. They are all varied individuals with their own specific gender identities.
Butler's analysis of gender as flexible and undefinable has been key in the development of queer theories on gender and identity. Queer theory expands on traditional conceptions of gender. It explores gender as a fluid and ever-changing concept, not confining it to one singular thing. It challenges the idea that gender can ever be binary.
Queer theory: books
Here are some key texts in the field of queer theory and literary criticism:
This is not a comprehensive list as there are many other important texts in the field of queer theory and literary criticism.
Words - 2086
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