Feminism Feminism Friday!Friday!

Feminism DefinedFeminism Defined

First-Wave FeminismFirst-Wave Feminism• Time Period: 19Time Period: 19thth & Early 20 & Early 20thth Centuries Centuries• Goal: Women’s Suffrage (Equality in Voting)Goal: Women’s Suffrage (Equality in Voting)

Second-Wave FeminismSecond-Wave Feminism• Time Period: 1960’s-1980’s (emerged in Time Period: 1960’s-1980’s (emerged in

conjunction w/other social protest movements of conjunction w/other social protest movements of early 60’s)early 60’s)

• Goal: Workplace Equality, Ending Legal Sex Goal: Workplace Equality, Ending Legal Sex Discrimination, & Other Social IssuesDiscrimination, & Other Social Issues

Third-Wave FeminismThird-Wave Feminism• Time Period: 1990’s-PresentTime Period: 1990’s-Present• Goal: Postmodern Redefinition of Gender Roles Goal: Postmodern Redefinition of Gender Roles

(Sex/Gender Distinctions); Women in Politics; (Sex/Gender Distinctions); Women in Politics; Issues of Race, Social Class, Transgender Rights, Issues of Race, Social Class, Transgender Rights, Sexual Liberation, Etc.Sexual Liberation, Etc.

Today we will examine Today we will examine Colonial, Revolutionary, and Colonial, Revolutionary, and Romantic works (all pre-Romantic works (all pre-feminism eras) through a feminism eras) through a feminist lens…feminist lens…

Anne Bradstreet’s Poetry (1650)Anne Bradstreet’s Poetry (1650)

Mary Rowlandson’s Captivity Mary Rowlandson’s Captivity Narrative (1682)Narrative (1682)

Abigail Adams’ Letter to John Abigail Adams’ Letter to John Adams (1776)Adams (1776)

Nathaniel Hawthorne’sNathaniel Hawthorne’sThe Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter (1850)(1850)

Literary Criticism:Literary Criticism:The Feminist ApproachThe Feminist Approach

• Based on finding suggestions of misogyny Based on finding suggestions of misogyny (negative attitudes about women) within (negative attitudes about women) within pieces of literature & exposing thempieces of literature & exposing them

• Feminists argue that Western literature Feminists argue that Western literature reflects a masculine bias & thus an reflects a masculine bias & thus an inaccurate, harmful view of womeninaccurate, harmful view of women

Literary Criticism:Literary Criticism:The Feminist ApproachThe Feminist Approach

Three main areas of study/points of Three main areas of study/points of

criticism:criticism:

1)1)Differences between men & womenDifferences between men & women

2)2)Women in power or power relationships Women in power or power relationships

between men & womenbetween men & women

3)3)The female experienceThe female experience

Literary Criticism:Literary Criticism:The Feminist ApproachThe Feminist Approach

Essential questions for a feminist reading:Essential questions for a feminist reading:

1)1)What stereotypes of women are present?What stereotypes of women are present?

2)2)Do female characters play major or minor Do female characters play major or minor

roles?roles?

3)3)Do female characters have any power? If so, Do female characters have any power? If so,

what kind? Political? Economic? Social? what kind? Political? Economic? Social?

Psychological?Psychological?

Literary Criticism:Literary Criticism:The Feminist ApproachThe Feminist Approach

Essential questions for a feminist reading:Essential questions for a feminist reading:

4)4)How do the male characters talk about the How do the male characters talk about the

female characters?female characters?

5)5)How do the male characters treat the female How do the male characters treat the female

characters?characters?

6)6)How do the female characters act toward the How do the female characters act toward the

male characters?male characters?

Literary Criticism:Literary Criticism:The Feminist ApproachThe Feminist Approach

Essential questions for a feminist reading:Essential questions for a feminist reading:

7)7)How do the female characters act toward each How do the female characters act toward each

other?other?

8)8)Are the female characters/situations Are the female characters/situations

oversimplified or presented fully?oversimplified or presented fully?

9)9)What are the predominant images? Are they What are the predominant images? Are they

associated with women? Why/why not?associated with women? Why/why not?

Literary Criticism:Literary Criticism:The Feminist ApproachThe Feminist Approach

Essential questions for a feminist reading:Essential questions for a feminist reading:

10)10)Do any of the work’s themes touch upon Do any of the work’s themes touch upon

feminist issues? Is the theme supportive or feminist issues? Is the theme supportive or

disparaging of woman?disparaging of woman?

11)11)Overall, are the female characters Overall, are the female characters

believable? Are the male characters believable?believable? Are the male characters believable?