Category: Feminist Literary Criticism

Janie Crawford is a captivating character in African-American literature and is studied as a symbol of strength, weakness, liberty, and restraint. Janie, the main character of Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Hurston, is a young African-American woman, desirous for more control of her life during a time when women had little to no say. Some literary critics deem Janie a hero of feminism because of this, but a look at the relationships that she has—with men specifically—proves that this is not always the case. Yes, Janie does find some independence in Hurston’s book, but she is tied to the brutal fact that she will always have the men in her life define who she is. Despite the little freedom that she gains at the end of the novel, Janie can only live life through the command of a male figure. She is not a hero of feminism, but is rather exemplar of weakness as her husbands essentially control who she can be.

Janie’s first relationship with a man is with her first husband, Logan Killicks. He is a man with “some ole skullhead in de grave yard” (Hurston 13), “his belly is too big… and his toe-nails look lak mule foots” (Hurston 23). Despite these unpleasing characteristics, Janie marries Logan to please her grandmother, who believes that he will provide for her and care for her. Unfortunately, Nanny is wrong and Logan is the opposite Janie’s idea of love and is controlling of Janie from the start. She is forced by his demands to stay in the house and work inside the house as well as outside on the farm and land as well. Janie’s breaking point comes when Logan asks her to “Come help [him] move a manure pile” (Hurston 30). When she refuses to help him with the task, he becomes enraged and promises to “take holt uh dat ax and come in dere and kill [her]!” (Hurston 31). Janie takes only a few moments after this death threat to decide that she needs to leave Logan as soon as possible. Although she left Logan, who was controlling her and expecting her to essentially do his work and her work, she does not escape to true independence yet. Instead, she gets into a much more complicated relationship. She runs into the arms of another man who she thinks can save her—a visionary and driven stranger named Joe Starks, whom she met by the road. The reason she leaves is because she believes that anything is better than staying with Logan, as Joe “did not represent sun-up and pollen, but he spoke for far horizon” (Hurston 28), somewhere far from where she was with Logan. Although Janie’s egress is a potential indication of strength, she falls right back into the same dark pit—a relationship with a man who is ultimately as controlling as Logan, and maybe even worse.

Janie’s marriage to Joe appears propitious at first, but it soon becomes evident that Joe intends to keep Janie in her place, a so called “woman’s place” (Hurston 40). For example, Janie and Joe go to the all-black town of Eatonville after they’re married, where Starks builds a store and is soon elected mayor for his forward ideas for the town’s growth. Speeches are being made by the new Board to celebrate his and the store’s inauguration when Tony Taylor requests that Janie say something as well. Jody immediately cuts in between and tells everyone that his “wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-makin’” (Hurston 40), and that “She’s a woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston 40). Janie is not given a chance to speak, and she soon realizes that she has no say in their marriage. It isn’t long before Starks is forcing her to work in the store and trying to control her every characteristic and her every move. He makes her speak, eat, sleep, dress, act, and essentially live the way he wants her to. He even becomes abusive as the years pass. The most tragic example of this abuse is when he hits Janie one day in the store, publicly humiliating her. For a long time, Joe has been humiliating Janie about being an old and dumb woman who should only listen and do for him, and the worst is when he insults her rear. Janie fights back for the first time in her life, leaving Joe “robbed of his illusion of irresistible maleness which all men cherish” (Hurston 75). Devastated, Joe “struck Janie with all his might and drove her from the store” (Hurston 80). He is so angry he abuses her, yet Janie still stays with him. She doesn’t seek help or stand up for herself, despite the years of public humiliation and verbal and physical abuse, and gives in to Joe’s control until Jody’s death, which is barely a heroic attribute.

After Joe dies, Janie lastly marries Tea Cake, and their relationship is pronounced by much more freedom and understanding between and of each other. Tea Cake even makes a few decisions with her, feeling that her opinion and input is as valuable as his. However, even with a more compassionate man, there are still moments where we see Tea Cake’s dominance over Janie. For example, Janie and Tea Cake spend one night together before their marriage, and Janie desires to make him breakfast the next morning, but Tea Cake insisted that she stay in bed and “wouldn’t let her get him any breakfast at all” (Hurston 107). Although this is a loving act, Tea Cake is the one telling Janie to do something. Another example of Tea Cake’s dominance is in the muck, a place where many people come to pick beans and make good money and memories. Mrs. Turner, a black woman with “Caucasian features” (Hurston 139), is constantly trying to get Janie married to her son. Out of anger, Tea Cake whipped Janie “Not because of her behavior… [but] Being able to whip her reassured him in possession” (Hurston 140). And despite being hit, “she never raised her hand tuh hit [him] back neither” (Hurston140). Though they have a relationship with much more love and freedom, Janie never gains true and absolute liberty of herself. Tea Cake is the one who chooses where they get married, where they should live, how they should make money, and whether or not they should stay with the threat of an oncoming storm. Janie’s marriage with Tea Cake is no doubt an improvement for her, but she doesn’t find true freedom until he’s gone.

Janie, despite the slowly growing freedom in her life, lives under the control of men and stays thus stays dependent on them rather than being free like she desires. Therefore, she is not an idol of feminism, but rather a weak woman with no will, living by her husbands’ wishes throughout her life. Her independence is always limited by men, making her one of the first protagonist female characters in literature, but also an antagonist of feminism.

For my critique, I will be looking at The Hunger Games (2012) through a Feminist Lens followed by a Marxist Lens.

The Hunger Games is an intense action movie that was directed by Gary Ross and was written by Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray. The movie’s plot starts off where the nation of Panem is divided into 12 different districts that are ruled over by the Capitol. Every year, two young male and female representatives must compete in a televised event called the “Hunger Games”, that is broadcasted throughout the nation of Panem. When 12-year-old Primrose Everdeen is chosen to participate, her 16-year-old sister, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers to take her place with Peeta Melark. They are escorted by chaperone Effie Trinket and mentor Haymitch Abernathy to the Capitol where they train and prepare to battle against the toughest tributes, some of whom have been training for their whole entire lives.

Firstly, I will look at The Hunger Games through a feminist lens. A feminist lens highlights “The ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women”. Looking at The Hunger Games through a feminist lens reveals itself to be an empowering, pro-feminist movie that challenges gender stereotypes in society by presenting a female protagonist.

In the beginning of the movie, when the Capitol comes over to District 12 to select the male and female tributes, Effie Trinket announces Katniss’s sister, Primrose Everdeen, for the female tribute. When Katniss hears this, she quickly volunteers to take her sister’s place. This is shown when she says, “I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!” . Not only does this reveal Katniss’s character of being caring for her sister so that she wouldn’t have to go, but it also shows that she is brave. This challenges the gender stereotype that women are too scared, or too shy. When the Hunger Games start, and Katniss is fighting against the other tributes in the arena, she finds another tribute from District 11 named Rue, who is considered as a “weak” tribute amongst the others. When Katniss befriends Rue, they together look out for each other. When another woman from District 2, named Clove, comes and threatens to kill Katniss while mocking Rue, a man from the same district that Rue is from, named Thresh, kills Clove. After killing Clove, Thresh spares Katniss by letting her escape thanks to her kindness to Rue by saying, “Just this time 12… For Rue.” Katniss’s supporting relationship with another tribute earns her what no other woman in the arena deserves, and that is deserving the right to live. This challenges the gender stereotype that women are wicked. Close to the ending of the Hunger Games when Katniss finds Peeta camouflaged, she notices that he had some severe injuries. Katniss cares for Peeta by cleaning out the wounds and helping him walk to find a safe location to rest. Once they find a safe location, she cares for him even more by adventuring out into the wilderness to find a supply drop containing medicine shown in the line, “We’ll just get you some medicine”. This is a representation of how equally both genders can look out for one another even to the point of sacrificing their lives. This challenges the gender stereotype that women are dependent on men.

Secondly, I will look at The Hunger Games using a Marxist lens. A Marxist lens highlights the ways in which literature reflects on “the struggle between economic classes” and whether it “promotes or impedes progress toward a just, equitable society”.

When applying the Marxist lens to The Hunger Games, it reveals itself to be a satirical critique of capitalism. Unfortunately, it fails in its critique because it benefits off the very system it purports to critique.

Near the beginning of the movie, everyone in District 12 is working to produce and manufacture goods to provide for the Capitol. This is shown in the movie when Katniss goes to the black market where everybody is working and then the Capitol comes over to separate everyone. This shows the overwhelming power that the Capitol has over the 12 districts and is considered as a narrative of capitalism where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. During the Hunger Games, when Rue dies, Katniss lays her body in a field, placing flowers all around her body. Katniss holds up the “Three Finger Salute” to the camera, and the peacekeepers ensure that no one interferes with the law. Members of District 11 see this and also follow by holding up the “Three Finger Salute”, which causes them to start a rebellion against the Capitol. This shows capitalism because of the media covering the game, which is predominantly filled with capitalist values that are used by the Capitol government. At the end of the movie, President Snow, who is the government of Panem, uses the peacekeepers to do his dirty work. To be specific, when Katniss and Peeta were the remaining tributes, Seneca Crane made a rule change at the end of the Hunger Games where only one victor may win. Peeta urges Katniss to shoot him, but Katniss comes up with a plan where they will both eat the poisonous berries so that the Capitol will not have their victor. Once the Capitol sees this, Crane quickly comes up and stops the two at the last second by saying, “Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the winners of the 74th annual Hunger Games.” This only made President Snow and the Capitol look weak because Crane was the Hunger Games Master and the public face of the failure. President Snow was not happy with Crane’s intervention and for punishment, assigned the peacekeepers to escort him to an empty room with the poisonous berries in a bowl. This shows that President Snow uses his powers to gain capitalism over Panem.

To conclude, after analyzing The Hunger Games through a feminist lens followed by a Marxist lens, it becomes clear that the movie is trying to promote feminism by showcasing a strong female character who is a good role model for women in general, thus revealing itself to be an empowering, pro-feminist movie that challenges gender stereotypes in society by presenting a female protagonist. On the other hand, viewers can clearly see the division in society between the Capitol and the 12 Districts, thus revealing itself to be a satirical critique of capitalism. Unfortunately, it fails in its critique because it benefits off the very system it purports to critique.

Alice Walker is one of the most popular figures in those days. Her writings mainly concentrate on their lands and the people, especially women. Her writings give energy and awareness of those days. In the 1970s, women have a lot of suppression in their society. Male dominations have an important role. Women do not express their ideas. But her novels and essays give an awareness of their society. Her works are considered as a classical womanist text. It is full of focuses on male domination, oppression, and race gender.

The Color Purple is written in first person narrative style. It is an epistolary or letter-writing form. Sometimes it’s combined with a diary and journey. This genre was first used by Samuel Richardson in the Mid-eighteenth century for his work, Pamela and Clarissa. Mostly, this genre openly explains her experience. It easily creates a picture in the reader’s mind. It is the first-person narrative so she cannot overly express it because it happened in earlier days.

Walker introduces several themes in her work. Such as the varied sorts of pain faced by human beings, the triumph of the human spirit losing her innocence, search for identity. This epistolary format explores women’s suppression and identity. The first-person narrative gives a structure to the reader’s mind. They easily understand the author’s mind. It will be helpful for all people to understand their society.

Epistolary or letter-writing as a literary form in fiction is a powerful genre for women writers interested in using a novel to examine modern society critically and present a world better than the one they have had. Since letter-writing reveals the thinking processes of the characters, it has to express their voices. In feminist works language and the adequacy of language come under scrutiny. There have been novels that use letter-writing to focus on the reconstruction of the self, especially women. Two such works are Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook (1962) and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple (1982).

Walker’s novel particularly points out the language, power, and gender. She gives an awareness of the new style of writing. The reader finds it difficult to understand the protagonist, Celie’s language. It challenges the reader. The first half of the book is addressed to God. Almost Celie has written a letter to God. And the second half of the book, Celie and Nettie exchange their letters. It shows their language, grammar, spelling, and writing style. Celie is an uneducated woman. Because her father did not allow going to school. So her writing is clearly understood by everyone. She has poor knowledge, poor spelling, and poor grammar.

Celie’s letter particularly points out the Black people’s dialect. For example, the conjunction of the verb ‘to be’ and ‘to have’ often jumped. The plural form of nouns and verbs creates an irregular ending. And two men change into two men. She says instead of she says. Double negative commas are used. The color purple is also considered a classic womanist text. They live in a male-dominated society. Black American Forum states that “It has become the classic novel by a black woman”. The narrative techniques are linked with the plot because they give the image of identity and rebirth of survival. She expresses her ideas in a formal and oral dialect. It gives a new life to society. The black young women are treated like a sexual object. In this novel, the protagonist Celie is raped by her step-father. Socialist and Radical theory is used in the novel. Socialist theory points out how women are economically dependent upon others, especially men. This role helps to identify the major roles of women such as mothers and housekeepers. Radical theory points out the family relationship and how the men control women. At the beginning of the novel, Celie has no identity. Her husband also calls Celie a ‘nobody’. Celie is also unable to define herself. Later, Celie realizes her identity and also leaves him. Celie says, ‘I’m pre, I’m black, I may be ugly and can’t cook. But I’m here.’ Linguistics says that Walker’s languages give a new strategy for the story because Celie’s language is uncontrolled. It expresses the 1960s Black English people’s dialect. So it has its own structure and vocabulary system. Simultaneously, she proves her Standard English because most of the reader misunderstands her works. First, the sentence is not given more importance. After that Walker gives the improvement of her language and style. She said, ‘My mind ran up Celi’s writing gives confidence to Afro-American society. Alice Walker is also impressed by the reader. Celie’s writing has a grammatical error and her reported speech is also bad. Celie uses her own grammatical rules.

Alice Walker points out that language is whatever the character speaks. Life and writing are a synonym, of each other. This type of writing provides the sympathy of the audience. God is an essential character in the 19th century because they are freely communicating with God. Celie believes that God is considered as a White man on a thought, git confirmed, run back and sort of lay down'(215)

He was big and old and tall and grey-bearded and white. He wears white robes and goes barefooted…Ain‘t no way to read the bible and not think God is white. . . . When I found out I thought God was white, and a man, I lost interest. You’re mad cause he doesn‘t seem to listen to your prayers. Humph! Does the mayor listen to anything colored say? (194 –195).

God has a great role. He does not punish but rewrites the world. The color purple is an uncommon one because mostly, the epistolary novel exchanges the ideas between the two people. But The Color Purple is different. It expresses individual ideas because emotions overcome the ability to speak. The first-person narrative arrangements are perfectly good such as Celie to God, Nettie to Celie, and Celie to Nettie. It allows delivering their ideas, wisdom, liberation, painfulness, etc. For example, she believes that Olivia and Adam are her siblings as well as her children. It explains her final position in society. She says, “My momma is dead. She dies screaming and crossing. She screams at men. She curses at me.” Celie learns education from her sister Nettie. Her education provides liberation.

This novel gives a new experience of African people. It also gives great states of black people; they become uncorrupted and lead a beautiful life. It reflects Walker’s family history. In The Color Purple, she criticized her grandfather Henry Walker was a model of Mr.____ He may also have an affair with a young beautiful singer, so it is called an autobiographical novel.

Celie is a young and beautiful black girl. She is the protagonist of the novel, but in the end, she is nearly middle-aged woman and gets freedom. First, she writes a letter to God and then to her sister Nettie. It gives them the independence to write about their life. At first, she is isolated and also she has only a friend, well-wisher, mother father called God. Half of the novel she has to address him. Her father was killed by someone, and her mother married another person called Alfonso. He is a stepfather of Celie. Her step-father misused her because, in the 18th century, women did not have any liberation. They are dominated by their family. As usual, her father abused her after the death of her mother. She is the eldest one in the family, so, she tolerates all the things. After, some years later, Alphonso, plans to arrange the marriage for Celie. Celie is not interested in marrying that person because he has already married a lady and had some children. He is also a widower. But, it’s a male-dominated society, so Celie marries a cruel man. She is ill-treated by her husband and his children. She leads her life as a stepmother, but she has also fallen in love with her husband’s ex-lover Shug Avery. She is a singer and a bold lady. She manages the entire situation quickly. So Celie likes her very much and is also addicted to her songs. One day Shug Avery is sick. So, Mr.__carried her to her place. So Celie helps her husband’s ex-lover. And then both of them had a friendship with each other, but unfortunately, it collapsed because they fell in love with each other and lived in a relationship. She already knows that it is a big mistake but she needs some care, love, and affection. So she accepts her relationship. Sofia and Shug have a great role in Celie’s life, of course, Nettie is the first person to help her sister. She is a good and king hurt. This character is coming from Celie.

Celie is a good and lovely person. She does not get angry with anyone. She has a lot of patience in her life. But she gets angry with her husband because he has hidden her sister’s letter for many years. She has to face a lot of problems in her life. She is not the weaker sex. She wants some time to overcome their position. Every woman has to achieve their freedom, and liberation with the help of their friends and family members, especially women. Celie also overcomes their position with the help of her friends and sister.

Shug Avery is a good beautiful energetic character in the novel. Her real name is Lillie, but throughout the novel, she is called Sugar and Shug Avery. She is also called the Queen Honeybee because she takes care of her friends and audience. She is a good and successful singer, she lives a sophisticated life, and she hates male-dominated society. She wants to live without hesitation. She is also having an affair with Celie’s husband Mr._. She has one boy called Germaine. And then she is also an affair with Celie. She hates everyone. First, Shug hates Celie but long days later; Celie helps Shug and treats them as a child. So she loves her and gets a relationship to wither. She is a brave woman. Walker also creates her like a feminist because she does not like the male-dominated society. She proves their freedom in her home and society also. She earns a lot of money and respect with the help of freedom. Celie also wants that and admires her. She always has affairs with both the sex. She has to move all the places and compose their music, liberally. She gives a way of Celie’s life because she has lived a hard life. She has also accepted her points and joined her. Finally, she teaches all the things and says, “Celie is a virgin girl because she does not have a good relationship with her husband and misused step-father. At the beginning of the novel, Celie says that God is a good friend, mother, father, etc… but at the end, she says that Shug is her mother, friend, sister, lover, etc..

Sofia is a significant character in the novel, especially in Celie’s life. She is marrying Celie’s husband’s son Hope. Sofia is a brave girl and always she calls a man because she has a male activity. She has to do; cutting wood like man’s work, but it’ll be a dangerous one for her life. Hopes is living in a male-dominated society, so he treats her as a laborer. She does not like her husband’s attitude. Celis is getting angry with her because he does not respect her son. But latterly she agrees that she is a good person. One day, she gives some ideas to her son. So Hope beats her. But she knows that this incident happened to her aunt. So, she refused him and went to another way. Latterly, Celie argues that she has to commit a great mistake in her life. Hope also agrees with his mistake but she refuses him and then she is going to join as a servant of Major’s house. She is also leading a hard life of nearly 12 years. She had some freedom and also wore pant-like men because men a good and respectful people in the world. Of course, she also wants some freedom like the man, society will curse her but she does not mind anything whatever society likes because she wants freedom so she has to face all the problems and manage the situation very smoothly. After the end of the novel, Hope realizes her mistakes and both of them get a good relationship with each other.

Mary Agnes is also called a Squeak. She is a minor character in the novel. She is the second wife of Hope. She is also like a Celie because she gets a lot of pressure in her life but she accepts the male-dominated society. She said that Hope says, I Love you suddenly I forget all his mistakes and accept her husband’s affection. But she is a good singer. She does not express herself in any situation. Shug helps her run a musical shop after that she also overcomes their position.

Nettie is another important character, she is a sister of Celie. But Celie is also called Nettie as her child. Celie lost her freedom, and a happy life for her one and only lovely sister. Alphonso, her step-father plans to abuse Nettie. But Celie does not permit them to touch her and then she goes to the White man’s house. She has lived a beautiful life because she expresses her freedom, thoughts, etc. They are white but he does not hesitate the freedom of the person. Corrine and Samuel have to help all the time and they also adopted Celie’s children Adam and Olivia.

Nettie is a brave and clever girl in Celie’s family. She is continuing her education with the help of her sister Celie. After that, she is going to the assistance of the American missionary. She maintains contact with her sister Celie but Mr.___does not like it because he also loves Nettie. Celie protects her husband’s attitude with her sister and saves her life. So he plans to hide all the letters, but Celie realizes that she is dead. But Shug reveals the truth and then Celie and Nettie have a good relationship with each other.

Albert is one of the most vulgar, stupid, and lazy characters. He is considered as a sin and pathetic. Usually, the evil person is considered a physically powerful person, but it is changed in Albert’s character. He always ill-treated his wife Celie. But he loves Shug Avery and gets relation with each other.

The sinful nature comes from his father. His father is a role model in Albert’s life. He is a married person, unfortunately, his wife was dead. After the death of his wife, he plans to marry another girl Celie, but he gets a relationship with the ex-lover Shug also. But he does not want to marry Shug because she cannot live as a slam and she wants some independence. When she is sick, suddenly he brings her to his home and takes care of her health. Celie is a black and dominant girl so she helps her husband’s lover as a nurse. But Albert does not think that Celie’s emotion but he wants to improve his lover Shug’s health. Albert also wants to marry another girl called Nettie, Celie’s sister. She is a good-looking and charming person. But Celie could not accept this marriage. So Albert always beats her. So Celie is a death doll of Alberts’ hand. He hides her sister Nettie’s letters. Albert is always having sex with Celie in a cruel way. But it is changed in Shug’s relationship because he is acting as a good lover. After all, he always loves Shug. When Shug and Celie plan to leave him after that he realizes his mistake. Albert wants some relationship with Celie. After that Celie also accepts her husband.

Alphonso is Celie’s stepfather, after the death of Celie’s father Celie’s mother married Alphonso. When Celie is an adolescent, he repeatedly abuses her. She is 14 years old girl so she does not reveal anything in society and her house because her mother was dead and her sister is also a young girl. So she tolerated all the things and then he plans to arrange the marriage between Celie and Mr.___. Celie does not want to marry him but she beats her, and then Alphonso plans to abuse her second child Nettie Celie can’t allow that, so he gets angry with her and says, she is very big and ugly.

Celie’s mother is named as a mom and she is mentally affected after the death of her real husband, and she marries another man called Pa. She never deals with the happiest life. She is sick because of her frequent pregnancies. She is dead after the second pregnancies of Celie and Alphonso.

Mary Ellen is a second wife, Alphonso, after the death of Celie’s mother he marries a 15-year-old young girl. She also has a lot of children by Fonso, so she leaves him and Fonso tells Celie that she is too old for him.

Daisy is another young woman. Fonso marries her after the leaves of Mary Ellen. She is fifteen years old and her parents are working in Fonso’s land. Fonso describes himself as a good person and also he treats himself as a husband and father of Daisy. Daisy is a kind-hearted person and she is also devoted to him before the meeting of Shug and Celie.

Miss Addie Beasley is a perfect woman and she is also Nettie’s and Celie’s teacher. She tries to convince Fonso of Celie’s education, but he refuses her education.

Kate and Carrie are Mr.___’s sisters. They come to examine Celie after she is married to their brother (Letter 12). They are always criticizing his first wife, Annie Julia, because she is not leading a family as a good housewife, but admires Celie’s activities.

Annie Julia was Albert’s first wife. She is the mother of Harpo. She was murdered by her boyfriend. Harpo held her in his arms while she died (Letter 17). After the death of his mother, Harpo and his siblings suffer from nightmares. Bub is the second son of Albert. He is a drunkard and frequently goes to jail. Albert’s daughter’s names are not mentioned.

Tobias is Albert’s brother. He is described as a fat and yellow bear man. He always meets Shug and Celie at Albert’s house and he also thinks that Celie is his wife so he always brings some chocolate gifts for Celie and Shug.

Odessa is Sofia’s sister and she is very big and strong and then Walker also describes her as Amazons. Sofia and Odessa are strong-minded and faithful to their family. She is married to Jack but they have no children. Odessa and her husband plan to provide a home for Sofia and her children. But, unfortunately, Sofia decides to leave Harpo (Letter 30). Shug and Mary Agnes, Odessa helps to protect Sofia from prison, and then Odessa and Jack bring up Sofia’s children.

Jack is Odessa’s husband and runs a farm. He is an army man so he always wears army trousers He is not an important one in the novel and he is a strong and loyal person. Celie always honors him because he helps to make her garments.

Samuel is a minister. They are adopting Celie’s biological children, Olivia and Adam. Samuel takes care of Corrine, Nettie, and the children, and they are going to Africa for missionary work. He tells the truth about her step-father because Celie and Nettie cannot realize that Alphonso is her step-father. After the death of his wife Corrine, Samuel plans to marry Nettie. Nettie mostly spent her time with Samuel and her sister Celie’s children and also realized that all black men are not bad.

Corrine is the first wife of Samuel. She is the adoptive mother of Celie’s two children; Olivia and Adam were adopted by Corrine and Samuel. Corrine is a kind-hearted woman, but she doubts Samuel and Nettie’s relationship. After a long time she agrees with their illegal relationship, after the death of Corrine, Samuel marries Nettie.

Olivia is Celie’s and her stepfather, Alphonso’s daughter. She is adopted by Samuel and Corrine in Africa. Olivia has a sisterly relationship with Tashi, an Olinka village girl. This friendship crosses intellectual limits.

Tashi is a bold young Olinka girl. She has a friendship with Olivia and Adam. After that Adam and Tashi have to be married. Grady is Shug’s husband. Celie thinks that Grady is always boring. He is a loving and kind-hearted man, and then he is a womanizer. He spends Shug’s money and then Grady and Squeak affair with each other. Shug realizes his mistake but never asks anything about his relationship.

Miss Millie is the wife of the mayor. She lived in Celie’s town. Miss Millie is racist but she admires the good manners of Sofia’s children, so she asks Sofia to be her maid. Sofia also accepts to work as a maid.

Eleanor Jane is the daughter of Miss Millie. Sofia is the only member of the mayor’s household, so Jane has a good relationship with Sofia. Eleanor Jane realizes that Sofia is a second mother. She has a strong affection for Sofia.      

Introduction

“Across a Hundred Mountains” is a captivating novel by Reyna Grande that explores themes of migration, identity, and the pursuit of a better life. Published in 2006, the book follows the intertwining stories of two women, Juana and Adelina, as they embark on separate journeys from Mexico to the United States. This literary criticism essay will analyze key elements of “Across a Hundred Mountains,” including its narrative structure, character development, and thematic exploration, to understand the profound impact and cultural significance of this compelling work.

Narrative Structure and Dual Perspectives

One notable aspect of “Across a Hundred Mountains” is its narrative structure, which alternates between the perspectives of Juana and Adelina. The use of dual narratives allows readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the characters’ experiences and perspectives, deepening our connection to their stories. By switching between Juana’s and Adelina’s viewpoints, the novel effectively captures the complexity of their individual journeys while also highlighting the common themes of struggle and resilience.

Character Development and Identity

Grande’s novel presents richly developed characters whose experiences of migration shape their identities and shape their understanding of self. Juana and Adelina undergo significant transformations as they face various challenges and confront their own pasts. Through their journey, readers witness the characters’ growth, resilience, and exploration of their cultural heritage. The novel powerfully explores the impact of migration on personal identity, highlighting the importance of connection to one’s roots and the search for a sense of belonging.

Symbolism and Imagery

“Across a Hundred Mountains” employs symbolism and vivid imagery to enhance its themes and engage readers on an emotional level. The recurring motif of mountains, for instance, represents the physical and metaphorical barriers that Juana and Adelina must overcome. The mountains serve as a symbol of the challenges and obstacles that migrants face in their pursuit of a better life, while also embodying the characters’ determination and strength. Additionally, the use of descriptive imagery immerses readers in the landscapes and settings, creating a vivid and sensory reading experience.

Exploration of Socio-Political Issues

Grande’s novel delves into socio-political issues surrounding immigration and the disparities between Mexico and the United States. It sheds light on the economic, social, and political factors that drive individuals to migrate, as well as the consequences they face. Through the characters’ experiences, the novel challenges stereotypes and humanizes the struggles of migrants, fostering empathy and understanding among readers. It also prompts reflection on larger systemic issues, such as the impact of border policies and the importance of compassion and human rights.

Themes of Family, Loss, and Resilience

“Across a Hundred Mountains” addresses universal themes that resonate with readers across cultures. The novel explores the significance of family bonds, the impact of loss and separation, and the resilience of the human spirit. It depicts the sacrifices made by individuals for the well-being of their loved ones, highlighting the enduring power of familial connections. Through the characters’ journeys, the novel emphasizes the importance of hope, perseverance, and the strength found in human relationships.

Cultural Representation and Authenticity

The novel authentically portrays Mexican culture, traditions, and customs, offering readers a glimpse into the richness and complexity of Mexican society. It challenges stereotypes and provides a nuanced portrayal of the diverse experiences of Mexican migrants. Through its characters’ relationships with their cultural heritage, the novel emphasizes the value of cultural pride and the preservation of traditions amidst the challenges of migration and assimilation.

Conclusion

“Across a Hundred Mountains” stands as a profound and thought-provoking exploration of migration, identity, and the human experience. Through its compelling narrative structure, well-developed characters, and thematic depth, Reyna Grande creates a work that resonates with readers on both personal and societal levels. The novel not only sheds light on the complexities of the immigrant experience but also serves as a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of cultural heritage, and the enduring strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Learned women make men nervous. This is prevalent in reality, and is thus mirrored in literature. The journey of women in the literary world has long been bruised by stereotypical portrayals, often prompted by the laughable lack of women authors in comparison to the predominance of men. The misguiding ‘male view’ of females has dug its claws deep into the literary canon, and subsequently, girls have strived to mold themselves into a ‘suitable’ caricature of womanhood. Confronted with such tropes, it has become difficult to navigate female portrayals in literature where the author has not adopted the male value system thrust upon them. This essay will review the most prominent contributions to modern feminist literary criticism, with emphasis on the madwoman thesis and ‘ecriture feminine’. Additionally, I will explore the biblical roots of the ‘virtuous’ and ‘sensuous’ woman, and how such contributions have impacted the portrayal of women in literature today.

An expansion of feminism’s critique of male control and belief system, feminist theory combines components of Marxism and poststructuralism to examine the province of gender within the composing, translation, and dissemination of scholarly writings. As proposed by Yale Professor Paul Fry in ‘The Classical Feminist Tradition’, there have been several prominent schools of thought in modern feminist literary criticism. In the first wave of feminism, dating roughly from the 1860s to the 1940s, critics consider the male treatment of women and the marginalization of female characters. Many critique the works of William Shakespeare and apply a ‘first-wave feminist literary lens’, when absorbing his characterization of females.

The second wave of feminism, or ‘gynocriticism’, was coined in the seventies by Elaine Showalter to describe a new literary project intended to construct “a female framework for the analysis of women’s literature”. It involves three primary areas of concern. The first acknowledges the assessment of female writers and their place in literary history. The second is how male and female authors treat female characters in their books, and the third is the discovery and exploration of a canon of women’s literature. In Showalter’s ‘A Literature of Their Own’ (1977), she explores women writing women and proposes three literary phases. In the ‘feminine phase’, female writers attempt to abide by male values, almost writing as men. They usually disregarded the debate regarding women’s place in society and employed male pseudonyms during this period. Examples include Charlotte Bronte, who had written under ‘Currer Bell’, and Mary Evans, better known as ‘George Eliot’. Next is the ‘feminist phase’, where the central theme of works by female writers critiqued the oppression of women in society. Finally, in the ‘female phase’, women writers were no longer trying to prove the legitimacy of a woman’s perspective. Literary works under this category often lacked or lost the anger and aggressive consciousness of the feminist phase.

The third is the madwoman thesis, made famous by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar’s ‘The Madwoman in the Attic’ (1979), which uses Charlotte Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’ as its center. Through the gothic, animalistic descriptions of Bertha Mason, Bronte mirrors all of the anger and distress Jane has to repress in order to fit the mold of Victorian womanhood. Both Jane and Bertha had remained imprisoned most of their early lives so as to not disturb social stability and gender norms. Whilst Bertha is contained physically, Jane’s self-restraint grounds her to the principles of Victorian womanhood. ‘The Madwoman in the Attic’ represents the confining aspect of marriage at this time, suggesting that this stereotypical expectation of Victorian wifehood threatens both mental and physical health. Gilbert and Gubar’s thesis suggests that because society forbade women from expressing themselves through creative outlets, their creative powers were channeled into psychologically self-destructive behavior and subversive actions.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any intriguing piece of literature always begins with a brilliant first line. And Gilbert and Gubar achieve exactly that. “Is a pen a metaphorical penis” (Gilbert and Gubar 2007, p.3) sets the stage for an intriguing discussion into whether writing anything is inherently masculine. This postulates that the writer’s pen is figuratively a penis. This theory perhaps stems from the predominance of men in literature, and the marginalization of not only female writers, but also female characters. As a society, we have given too much prestige to male authors and provided ammunition to fuel these social taboos against women. Subsequently, we have created stereotypical and innately misogynistic literary criteria which both men and women abide by. Gilbert and Gubar examine the notion that women writers of the nineteenth century were confined in their writing, much like the ‘madwoman’ herself. Consequently, they were inclined to make their female characters either embody the ‘angel’, characterized by pure, angelic attributes, or the ‘monster’, which categorizes them as corrupt and sinful. This arguably emanated from male writers’ tendencies to restrict female characters to either wholly evil or wholly good.

Paul Fry identifies the final contribution as French feminism, or rather; ‘ecriture feminine’, a term coined by literary theorist Hélène Cixous. This theory relies heavily on Freudian psychology and penis envy, and foregrounds the importance of language for the psychic understanding of the self. French feminists posit the existence of a “separate language belonging to women that consists of loose, digressive sentences written without use of the ego” and the difficulty to understand it can be attributed to “centuries of suppression of the female voice”. In Cixous’ ‘The Laugh of Medusa’, she implores women to pursue writing and ignore the patriarchal attempts to lure her away from exploring the individuality of her mind. She underlines that the “number of women writers…has always been ridiculously small” as historically speaking, writing was “reserved for the great”, meaning, “great men”. Ironically, the earliest named author is a woman: Enheduanna. Her works, predominantly hymnals, also make her the earliest known poet. Around 4200 years ago in the Sumerian state of Ur, Enheduanna was the first known woman to hold the title of ‘EN’, a role of political importance. At the time, anonymous literary work was customary. But as Virginia Woolf noted that throughout most of history, anonymous was a woman. Cixous passionately encourages women to write about themselves so that they can ‘write women’. She furthers her thesis by urging women to not internalize images projected onto them by men and bolster phallocentrism and the phallocentric tradition. Cixous continues to proclaim that by censoring women’s writing, the female body was also censored and writing will aid the woman in gaining back her assets and weakening the hegemonic thinking of history. Her conclusion summarizes that although women cannot avoid using the generic language, the tongue of men, they should not be deferred by this. And this is irrefutably precise. The current speech code favors men and although feminism has seen a march of progress, there is much more work to be done. As such, women must not stop contributing to literature. Now, more than ever, it is imperative for females to pick up a pen and write their own stories. Write about their own experiences. Write, and reshape the portrayal of women in the literary world.

Cixous further proposes that ‘marked writing’ (gender influenced work) has created a locus where the repression of women has been perpetuated. I believe that this is not only prevalent in modern works but even in archaic literature. The Book of Genesis has been the fundamental basis for concepts of gender and morality in the West. The narrative of Adam and Eve is said to convey essential, and mostly negative, ‘truths’ about the nature of women. Eve has represented the personality of all women for the last two thousand years or so. And so, it can be questioned to what extent the biblical representation of Eve has influenced the portrayal of women in literature. Eve represents everything about a woman a man should guard against, and her actions have created a prevailing belief that all women are, by nature, disobedient, weak-willed, and prone to temptation. Their actions are defined by self-interest and egoism. The comparison to Eve is inescapable for women, regardless of their achievements. Thus, this continues to serve as the ultimate weapon against women who wish to challenge male hegemony. It is a pernicious view that is so deeply ingrained in not only the socio-religious illustration of women, but also their depiction in literature. Specifically, in pre-Reformation Europe, the most influential figure was that of the Virgin Mary, the archetype of womanhood, and the stark dichotomy of Eve. The Virgin Mary is untainted by immorality and observes chastity and modesty. Women akin to the Virgin Mary (in literature) constantly associate themselves with domestic roles and the preservation of a socially approved nuclear family. They reject debauchery and other illustrious acts and so are praised. Contrarily, Eve is associated with the fluidity of sexuality and its overt display. As such, she is scorned.

Cynthia G. Wolff in her thesis ‘A Mirror for Men: Stereotypes of Women in Literature’ posits five types of women presentations in literature: the virtuous woman, the sensuous woman, the sentimental stereotype, the liberated woman, and the American girl. She cements that, unlike masculine problems, feminine problems are very seldom the principal subject of literary interest. Although there are certainly some exceptions, they are rare, and so balance insignificantly against the massive body of literature which is dominated by masculine dilemmas. Even when feminine concerns are mentioned, they are either dismissed as a ‘joke’ or barely explored. For example, Wolff comments how childbirth exists in literature primarily as a “convenient plot device for eliminating extraneous young women” and “menopause is portrayed as a snide joke”. After all, the plight of women is insignificant against the oh-so taxing struggles of men. Wolff’s virtuous and sensuous woman seem to mirror the Virgin Mary and Eve respectively. Whilst the virtuous woman is identified with the “positive elements in a man’s life”, the sensuous woman is identified with “not only sex”, but with “other forms of non-virtuous behavior”. This dichotomy is also expressed through physical attributes, where the chaste woman is assigned blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin, the sensuous is given more sexually alluring features such as dark hair and dark eyes. This is ubiquitous in modern literary works where chastity and innocence are synonymous with soft, dainty features and traditional Western beauty standards. But since the ‘sensuous woman’ often distracts the ‘strong’ man from achieving his goal, she must inevitably be removed from the literary canon for convenience. After all, how dare a woman waver the path of a man?

Although the portrayal of women has improved significantly, there are still modern tropes that displease some. Personally, the biggest may be the perpetuation of the ‘good girl’ that so many women authors ascribe to their main characters. The ‘good girl’ has a set of criteria to it that women authors persistently follow. First, they cannot be selfish. Instead, these women are desirable specifically because they self-sacrifice and prioritize others over themselves. Teaching young female readers that they should put themselves last to please others is wrong and misleading. Secondly, women authors only allow their characters ‘situational impurity’. Oftentimes, the female narrator dictates that they just had to dress immodestly because of their situation. The ‘good girl’ (much like the Virgin Mary and the virtuous woman) adopts a continual air of innocence and chastity. They only voice ‘improper’ thoughts according to the convenience of the plot, rather than by their own nature. It has long been the time to kill this pureness necessity, built upon the questionable male value of women being virginal and unadulterated, that is the backbone of so many female leads. Finally, the ‘good girl’ is simply unrealistic. Whilst she appears to embody the qualities of a virtuous woman, she is still required to have sex appeal. It transforms women into unrealistic, imaginary objects.

Now sometimes female authors tend to go the other way. They try to completely avoid the good girl trope. In my opinion, the worst overcorrection is the phrase ‘I’m not like other girls’. Women generally have a fear attached to their femininity because feminine things are not taken seriously or seen as important, as reflected through both literature and social dilemmas. This manifests itself through authors attempting to detach their female leads from ‘feminine things’ like the color pink, or activities that a ‘stereotypical female’ would enjoy, like shopping. Instead, they must adopt a persona closer to that of a ‘more interesting’ or ‘more important’ man. These female leads often show more of an interest in masculine activities. This is entirely unrealistic and such restrictions almost encourage females to reject or shy away from their femininity. For the younger generation especially, we must allow female leads to be feminine as women can be those things and still be individuals with intricate desires and personalities. Furthermore, women who are allowed to be confident in their femininity are portrayed as the bad guy or the ‘mean girl’. They are usually attributed unfavorable features such as impoliteness and they go out of their way to agitate the protagonist. This creates a negative view of femininity, as strong women and sureness in one’s sexuality shouldn’t be synonymous with antagonism.

Lili Loofbourrow’s insight into the male glance, a term coined by the author herself, defines this concept as the opposite of the male gaze. Rather than “lingering lovingly on the parts it wants most to penetrate, it looks, assumes, and moves on”. It feeds an “inchoate, almost erotic hunger to… reject without taking the trouble of analytical labor” because our intuition is so searingly accurate. She posits this phenomenon behind why male critics will dismiss female-driven narratives without actually understanding them, from reluctance to read female authors, to rejection of female protagonists in big franchises.

Men writing women poses an entire other problem. Firstly, it is almost impossible to write about the struggles of a person if you haven’t experienced them yourselves. As such, many men misinterpret or completely subvert the female in their scholarly works. Another grave issue is objectification. Desires are nuanced, and the way men, specifically straight white men, view these desires are different and this is demonstrated through their portrayal of women. The sexualization of women in literature is not only made evident by the plot, but also by the title itself, a feature explored by an article questioning ‘Why So Many Books Have ‘Girl’ in the Title’ (Times, 2016). There is a phenomenon in the publishing world where a significant proportion of books include the word ‘girl’ in the title, but almost exclusively when the word ‘girl’ is used in the title, it is referring to a grown woman. However, there is no equivalent for ‘boys’. Now there are two reasons for this. Firstly, there are two standards of male beauty in our patriarchal society. The ‘boy’ and the ‘man’ can both be alluring and attractive, but for a woman, there’s just the ‘girl’. In order for a character to seem intriguing, she needs to be a girl. Secondly, vulnerability in females sell and empowerment doesn’t. The obsession with the infantilization of women is simply sick, but it is employed by so many authors, and not just male writers, that it is unavoidable. Women have long been unrealistically sexualized in literature, and it is still apparent today.

In summation, the portrayal of women in literature has always been problematic. The predominance of men in literature, in terms of both writers and characters, are still present, and although the image of women has come far, literary stereotypes are yet to be emitted. The supremacy of the male voice remains unchallenged. Women don’t act, they react. And even so, their actions are subjected to the male glance. Obtusely, a woman’s place in the literary world must be earned, whereas the male stance is given.

Whileaway, the perfect all-young lady in ‘When It Changed’ supports girls with no sexual orientation limits. In their impeccable society, masculine and feminine work is performed evenly among the ladies, and additionally, Jonna Russ uses this point to show us more about the feminist criticism of ‘When It Changed’.

Janet, narrated in ‘When It Changed’, can be classified as the ‘feminine’ female in her lesbian marriage with Katy, however she also has ‘masculine’ characteristics. She worries about her companion, but “I am afraid of far, far too much. I’m getting old” (Russ, 345). Her interests without issues arrange her as a ‘typical women’ in recently society. Janet issues that the aggregate that has been worked for making their optimal While away will be crushed when the men dominate. In any case, inverse to Janet’s excessively female character, she handles weapons and claims a rifle, which would be classified as a masculine action. “I reached down next to me where we bolt the carrier panel to the door and eased my rifle into my lap” (Russ, 345). Although she concerns and acts like the fundamental female, she by the by handles and claims a rifle. This intersection of sexual orientations is the thing that Whileaway is essentially founded on. They hold no sexual orientation obstructions; they similarly circulate all undertakings and attributes. There are no ‘male’ or ‘female’ jobs, what’s more, Janet is the police-header of the state, which is commonly thought of man work.

Janet’s wife Katy can be typically known as a ‘masculine’ woman. Katy is a mechanic, who likes driving fast, fixing cars, and is now no longer scare of going camping besides a gun. “Katy drives like a maniac; we must have been doing over 120 kilometers an hour on those turns… I’ve seen her take the whole car apart and put it together again in a day” (Russ, 345). Katy is also described that she has big muscles. “The muscles of her forearms are like metal bars from all the driving and testing of her machines. Sometimes I dream about Katy’s arms” (Russ, 350). This remark demonstrates again Katy’s manliness and Janet’s female domineer. Typically, it is the lady’s situation to appreciates the man’s muscles.

Another point which classifies Katy as masculine is when she challenges the guys from Earth (who come to ‘perfect’ the girl society), when they insult Katy and herself. “‘You damned fool, don’t you know when we’ve been insulted?’ and swung up the rifle to shoot him through the screen, but I got to her before she could fire…” (Russ, 349). As Katy is speaking, Janet portrays her better half’s voice as ‘brittle’. This scene in the story, again delineates the ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ characters. Katy talks in a weak voice and she is talking up to shield and secure her family. Furthermore, at the indistinguishable time, Janet is holding Katy back, in stress that she will hurt herself (Garland, 88).

The contradiction between earthly men and the female of Whileaway, gives the chance of the fall for the all-lady perfect world domain (Cortiel, 57). The folks feel that solidarity between the two sexual orientations will at some point improving them. “There is only half a species here. Men must come back to Whileaway” (Russ, 349). The folks of Earth and the female of Whileaway interchange numerous words for the term of their encounter. The real estimation and their sexual stereotyping represent a significant risk (Garland, 91). The men criticize the all-female society. “You know as properly as I do that parthenogenesis culture has all kinds of inherent defects, and we do not- if we can assist it- imply to use you for something of the sort…. But truly you can see that this kind of society is unnatural” (Russ, 348). The men of Earth accept that they should impel the lady society out of its ‘unnatural’ state. Here is the possibility of men as Supreme Being get away. The men have attacked the woman perfect world, and afterward, offended their lifestyle, to improve theirs (Wilmer, 484). The appearance of the men, leave the ladies with apprehension, realizing that their everything young lady perfect world, which has prevailing with regards to enduring, will rapidly be reaching a conclusion.

“All good thing must come to an end” (Russ, 350). The all-woman ideal world will end up being wiped out when the men from Earth diagram their powerful attack. After the war of words with the men, Janet feels that the eventual fate of Whileaway is in risk, why the men will substitute their ways of life as they grasp it.

Work Cited

1. Russ, Joanna. ‘When It Changed’. Knopf Doubleday, Publishing Group, 2016. ENGL 1102 Reader, edited by Jason Bourget, Douglas College, 2020.

It was not at the moment ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ was written when it found an audience who could understand it. When Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote this piece of literature work in 1892, she had no idea that her short story would become a classic feminist literature.

It was some decades ago when Gilman’s piece of work was considered an early expression of feminist criticism because of its subtle denounce against the repression and limited freedom women used to have during the Victorian era. It is difficult to identify which critical approach would fit the best when trying to analyze this story without taking into perspective the author’s personal experience. Gilman herself, as the narrator in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’, had been prescribed the ‘rest cure’ after giving birth. This was an imposed treatment given to women who showed some signs of stress or nervousness break. This treatment, however, was more likely to drive women insane because of the period of inactivity, limited freedom, and self-expression.

The story is about how the narrator’s ‘nervous condition’ misdiagnosed by her husband, who is a physician, is misunderstood in such a way that drives the narrator into madness. Her husband is not willing to listen and or understand the narrator’s legit psyche and needs: “If a physician of high standing and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency – what is one to do?” (Gilman, 1980).

In the 19th century, the medical field had not enough information on how to treat women with mental health issues usually misdiagnosed as hysteria. The ‘rest cure’ was a way to gain control over women’s mental behavior. Little the medical field knew that these mental issues could be more about the postpartum effects a woman may experiment after giving birth. In ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ the reader can assume that this is what the narrator may be suffering from, taken from the following remarks: “It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous” (Gilman, 1980) It is possible to understand that Gilman wrote this story to raise awareness upon her own experience about how, in a patronizing era, male doctors would dismiss a female patient’s words. Overall, males disregarding to listen and understand women’s own needs and words, in such a way that they are driven to real madness.

Gilman did express after writing ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ that she wrote this story to protest this treatment. The autobiographical details found in the story are persuasive and the symbolism which supports the feminist associations is evidence enough to discuss that ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ cannot be analyzed from a simple gender approach, but from a biographical approach as well.

Work Cited

1. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. The Charlotte Perkins Gilman Reader: ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and Other Fiction. Ed. Ann J. Lane. New York: Pantheon, 1980. 3-20. Print.

Feminist literary criticism is described as the interpretation of composing literature from a female’s angle. Feminist writers often refuse the norms of typical literature, and they rebel against the patriarchal point of view. Feminist writers approach their literature in an empowering way to represent females. It criticizes and analyses the restraints and oppression of women throughout the years, and it portrays how women are viewed in literature. Feminist writers found themselves forbidden from composing literature in the era of the 1960’s.

Key concepts of feminist literary criticism can be seen throughout the novel ‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy. This assists the reader to develop a critical analysis and to gain more knowledge of the novel. This novel portrays the truth about the treatment of Indian women. It tells the reader about the horrible suffering these females endured, especially in a male dominated society. The females in this novel long to have an identity. Roy writes about the oppression of females in India. Throughout the novel Roy highlights the way in which the male population dominated the females in social norms. A source quotes: “Feminist criticism has been rather a powerful movement than a unified theory, a community of women with a shared set of concerns but with a complex and resourceful variety of methodological practices and theoretical affiliations” (Showalter, ‘Women’s Time, Women’s Space: Writing the History of Feminist Criticism’, 1984). This statement portrays how important the feminist community is and shows that when strong women with similar mindsets come together, women can overpower men in the literature world.

Ammu is a female character in the novel and has dealt with brutal and harsh treatment her whole life. When she was a young girl, she did not have access to education as her father believed that education was extremely unnecessary for girls. Ammu eventually got the opportunity to attend school in Britain to gain an education, her father still believed that by attending college it would give his daughter an amoral attitude. In the world we live in today, some remote and traditional countries and areas still deny females the access to have an education, and from a feminist perspective this is unfair and ridiculous because every human should have access to education to learn and get themselves an education. Having an education allows a person to excel in life and to be the best version of themselves that they can be, and therefore this is why Roy highlights this issue in the novel to allow women the right to gain an education.

When Ammu is a grown woman, she becomes a divorced mother of two. This is because Ammu leaves her husband due to his indecent proposal, but when she does this, she is no longer accepted of welcome into her own family home. From a female literary perspective this shows how badly females were oppressed and controlled which is hard to see, we as women have some so far in this day and age, and to see how badly maltreated women were it is almost dehumanization to women. Gender is very relevant in this situation; her father is in control of her life and Ammu is not allowed to use her own voice. It is evident that society has double standards when it comes to male and females, which is very unnecessary. Ammu was uncontrollably beaten by her father most nights. Papachi is a conservative and traditional father and husband. He abuses and belittles his own family. From a feminist literary perspective, when he takes out his anger on his own family, he gains a sense of supremacy and power. Ever since, she was denied her basic rights. This abuse was normalized in the Indian culture, the culture plays a big role in the social norms and why the male population felt they were superior. A source quotes: “Pitting feminism against multiculturalism has certain consequences, it obscures the influences that in fact shape cultural practices, hides the forces besides culture that affect women’s lives, elides the way women exercise agency within patriarchy, and masks the level of violence” (Volpp, ‘Feminism Versus Multiculturalism’, 2001). This quote portrays how culture itself makes it okay to treat women with violence in certain countries, and in this case it is India, their culture allows this abuse and unfair treatment to occur, and it overlooks how wrong the abuse is.

Roy begins to criticize the male dominant society in India as he compares the irrational and egocentric men to a ‘male chauvinist pig’. Mammachi is very talented at playing the violin, and one day her teacher was praising her. Because of this praise and her amazing talent, Pappachi makes her immediately stop going to her violin lessons and he destroys the bow on Mammachi’s violin and continues to hurl it into the river. Her amazing talent led her to violence, she was physically and mentally abused by her husband. Pappachi feared that Mammachi would be more successful than him, and that she would make something of herself. He felt threatened by his own wife because she was more talented than him. This jealousy and fear Pappchi possess results in male dominance because he knows he has the power to do so. This incident was Roy’s attempt to reveal the reality of the patriarchal system. From a feminist literary point of view, it is evident that men possess all the physical power in this society and women are seen as weak in comparison to them.

Baby Kochamma is the second generation of women in the novel. Baby Kochamma is besotted and in love with Father Mulligan. She was mesmerized by him. Baby Kochamma felt so passionately about him that she changed her religion for him and became a Roman Catholic. She did not receive the same passion and attraction in return from father Mulligan. When she was sent away, her feelings still did not change and therefore this conveys how she needed attentiveness and love from a male, and she went through great extents to gain it, and she still failed. She was brainwashed and oppressed into thinking she needed a male to feel complete or superior. Baby Kochamma disdained Ammu because she was a divorced single mother on her own. She felt that because Ammu did not have a male presence in her life, that she was inferior to those who did have a male in their life. Baby Kochamma cared more about how others saw her. Baby Kochamma also interferes and destroys Ammu’s chance of being happy when she brings Ammu’s affair to light. By exposing this affair, it leads to her own brother’s death. But she is untroubled by this. Baby Kochamma was not bothered by her brothers encounters with other women, she was content to ruin another woman’s happiness, which from a feminist literary perspective portrays that in this age of society women will always be the offender in these sexual acts, but it is accepted when a man does it, this is wrong, unfair, and sexist.

When her husband finally died, Mammachi provided for her family by running the pickle factory successfully, but she was compelled by doing so. From a feminist literary perspective this portrays that the hard work, talents, and passion from women is ignored and underappreciated by men. Mammachi falls victim to the prejudice beliefs and ways of society. This treatment turns her insensitive and numb, she is almost hardened emotionally. Mammachi endured a lot of pain and abuse from her late husband, but she did not stand up to him or rebel against the abuse. Reading from a feminist literary perspective, we as readers see a traditional Indian woman who does not rebel against her abusive husband, instead she allows it to happen, which resulted in her crying when her husband died. This was not because she was distraught by the death, but instead because it would appear odd if she were not seen crying. A quote from the novel supports this statement: “With her eyes she looked in the direction that her husband looked. With her heart she looked away” (p.30). This portrays perfectly that she was crying and showing emotional just to fit into society’s norm, but her heart and emotions were in fact free from his torture.

In conclusion, it is evident that women will always be inferior to men in certain circumstances, women empowerment is crucial if countries such as India want to see a change, and there is a lot of feminism in this novel and from a feminist literary view there is a lot of abuse and inequality towards women, and Roy really highlights this and raises awareness for the women suffering.

Maya Angelou is an African-American poet and actress. She is a world-famous author. She had a tough life. She was raped at a young age and faced racism in her childhood. These events affect her life later, and it is shown in her work. In her poem ‘Woman Work’ Maya Angelou talks about how the society forced women into gender roles. For many years women and men had their fixed role in the society, and these were made by the ones who were in power. In the poem, Maya tells us about the hardship a woman goes through because of the role that was forced on women.

The feminist movement relies on ideological and political ideas in order to gain popularity. Feminism has its aims as an ideology and as a movement. Although feminism’s history can be divided into three phases and it developed over the years. The term ‘feminist’ didn’t start to gain popularity until the 1970s. The gist of this movement is to establish women’s equal rights and legal protection and to fight for the women from all domains, to spread awareness about the discrimination they face throughout the history, and this become their motivation to continue this movement. The activist feminist also criticized the idea that women only accomplishment is raising children. The women are victims of the roles gender the society forced on them. This system affected women in many ways. They experienced the loss of their identity. One of the movement aims is the right to plan their life and families. In the poem ‘Women Work’ Maya Angelou talks about this issue from the perspective of feminists.

Feminist literary criticism uses the concepts and ideology of feminism to critique the text. It has elements from other theoretical schools such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, and the post-colonial to analysis the text and the style of the writing. The feminist school examines how the work illustrates women and their attitude toward men in the text. Originally the school was concerned with the women’s power and her role in the text. In the second wave of feminist movements in the 1960s, modern feminist literary criticism has its origins. During the second wave, feminism went through three phases: the feminist phase, the female phase, and the feminine phase. Each phase has different style in the critique. Women’s authors adhered to male values during the feminine phase. In the feminist phase women’s position in society was criticized. And in the female phase, women’s works have now been assumed to be valid.

In the beginning of the poem, Maya describes the typical role for women in the society, being a good housewife who takes care of everything in the house, The first stanza might show that the woman has the power because she has the control in her house, but the language Maya uses show that the woman doesn’t have the choose, she’s living like a machine that has no soul or needs. Women’s role in the society now is much different today than it was in the past. For so long men had the power over women because of these gender roles. From the Marxist feminists’ perspective, the men have the power and authority because they work and make business in the society. While women who take care of the house and the children don’t have that power and must obey them. The feminist movement became popular in the 1960s. The women at that time refuse this treatment and start to ask for their rights. As a result, women now have more power and can decide what they want to do. Maya represents the black feminist, the minority feminists. In the rest of the poem, Maya expresses the woman desire to escape her reality, as if like she was a slave and wants her freedom. The woman sees the nature as her sours of comfort. She is under pressure and asks nature to condole her. She takes care of the children, food and the house by herself and couldn’t complain because this her work in the people’s eyes. The language Maya uses help the readers to see the character’s weakness and pain. The last line in the poem could emphasis that the women is living her life like a slave who doesn’t own any thing.

Black feminists believe that sexism, racism and class domination are linked together. They experienced both racial and gender discrimination. Throughout the years the minority feminist felt neglected by the main stream feminism. Black feminism claims that black women are inherently different from white women in power structures. For example, earning the right to work outside the home was not seen as an accomplishment by black women, as many black women had to work inside and outside the home for decades due to poverty. The black feminist criticized the feminist who does not recognize intersectional problems. Black feminism has existed since slavery. In Maya Angelou’s works, she uses a lot of figurative language to describe the suffer of black feminist faces. ‘Woman Work’ can be understood from the perspective of black feminists. From this perspective the woman is a slave in her life, all the work she does is for her family and the others.

To sum up, women had gone through many hardships throughout the years. From forcing a role into them to expecting them to accept it without complaining and act like they like it. Maya shows the emotion the character went through, how lonely and tired she felt. Now women’s work is not limited to being a housewife and doing the house chores all day, now they can be teachers, doctors, and anything in addition to housewife.

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.

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

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3. 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
4. Tyson, L. (2006). Google. Retrieved from Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide.
5. Yang, L. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved from https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/feminist-criticism