Feminist Criticism: Theories and Perspectives

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Critical Depiction of Women in Literature
Representation
Feminism in Humanities
Conclusion
References

Introduction

As feminist criticism highlights the representation of female characters in literature and culture overall, a variety of theories and perspectives have been developed on the topic. Namely, multiple authors who have published work analyzing how women were depicted in art have developed frameworks that align with the perspectives of other researchers and writers. Nonetheless, certain theories do not have a similar approach to the topic. In the current literature review, the subject of feminist criticism will be examined from the perspective of existing theories and reflections correlating with how women were and are portrayed in cultural contexts. The analysis highlights the consensus that woman’s representation, appropriate depiction in art, and presence in the field of humanities is critical.

Critical Depiction of Women in Literature

A common subject that can be highlighted in the works of multiple authors is that women were represented from a rather negative perspective. Specifically, objectification or infantilism is emphasized as one of the main measures implemented in the works of famous writers. Peter Barry, who is affiliated with the University of Wales, highlights that the representation of females in literature impacted how women viewed role models (2020). Hence, it has a direct influence on how they behave or perceive the world around them.

Additionally, the philosopher highlighted that women writers, who were less likely to receive recognition due to gender roles and their prominence in the 19^th century, were using certain artistic roles to resemble the more successful male writers. A similar idea has been introduced by an affiliate of Brown University, Bonnie Honig (2021), in regard to the patriarchy within the current political system. Hence, both authors emphasize that a structure that is male-dominated, such as politics or literature in the previous centuries, diminishes women and leads to an imbalanced environment. In one case, the author has formulated that literature as a field has generated female role models that would benefit men, while in the other case, the current political establishments are focused on the maintenance of the patriarchy. Both authors, however, highlight that feminist criticism is important in diminishing said boundaries and measures.

Representation

Another theory has been formulated concerning the presence of women in certain domains. Specifically, the authors argue that the presence of women in certain professions directly correlating with feminist criticism, such as academia and literature itself, is essential in minimizing the effects of male-dominated fields. For example, Green and Kahn (2020), who are professors at Scripps Collage and Brawn University, respectively, highlight the critical importance of female representation in academia. It is formulated as the addition of a significant input both in feminist research as well as the provision of a perspective that would otherwise be omitted.

As mentioned prior, research is not the only domain that is described as essential to include a feminist overview. Namely, a similar theory developed by an affiliate of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, Java Singh (2021), describes the influence of female artists. The experience of women, which cannot be fully replicated by male creators, is highlighted as essential in the representation of women writers. Thus, both authors formulate the framework in which female representation in art and published works can only be addressed with the inclusion of females in the creation of the said works.

Feminism in Humanities

Critical feminist theory is the model that highlights how aspects such as gender, race, and class impact one’s lived experience. Specifically, the patriarchal systems, according to the theory, oppress minorities, including women. The affiliate of the University of Pennsylvania, Marcia Westkott (2019), alongside the previously mentioned philosophers and writers, emphasizes the liberatory impact of the presence of a feminist overview on social sciences. From this perspective, the author goes beyond art and formulates that all subjects correlating with human behavior, including its social and cultural effects, require an assessment from the perspective of the aforementioned feminist criticism.

Needless to say, Weskott’s work does not undermine or criticize the frameworks discussed previously, which were published by other authors. Instead, it adds a background to the current pool of research and emphasizes that the presence of a feminist ideology should not be limited to cultural representations. From this perspective, it is similar to the previously mentioned framework formulated by Barry (2020), who examined the role of women from a social perspective throughout history. Thus, the authors are similar in their reflection on the importance of feminism in humanities as it allows for a broader examination of topics that would otherwise be viewed from a male-dominated overview.

Conclusion

A variety of literature sources and publications can be examined to analyze the subject of feminist criticism. In the current review, five authors have been selected in order for the domain to be assessed from an in-depth perspective. The common consensus that is present in all the aforementioned works includes the importance of a woman’s perspective, representation in various professions correlating with social sciences and culture, and the feminist overview of humanities as a whole. The authors have highlighted that male-dominated systems can be balanced with the input of women in academia and literature. While contradicts or debates have not been identified, the authors very in regards to attribute feminist criticism to either culture or social sciences. This would not only create a more harmonized perspective but also allow experiences to be expressed in a more inclusive manner. Thus, the theories exemplified in existing literature share similarities concerning the critical input of women in fields that would otherwise not be properly represented from a diverse standpoint.

References

Barry, P. (2020). Feminist criticism. In Beginning theory (4th edition). Manchester University Press.

Green, G., & Kahn, C. (2020). Making a difference: Feminist literary criticism. Taylor & Francis.

Honig, B. (2021). Shell-shocked: Feminist criticism after Trump. Fordham University Press.

Singh, J. (2022). Feminist literary and cultural criticism: An analytical approach to space. Springer.

Westkott, M. (2019). Feminist criticism of the social sciences. In Feminist research methods. Routledge.

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Feminist Criticism: Theories and Perspectives

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