Feminist literary criticism is literary criticism informed by feminist theory, or more broadly, by the politics of feminism. It uses the principles and ideology of feminism to critique the language of literature. This school of thought seeks to analyze and describe the ways in which literature portrays the narrative of male domination by exploring the economic, social, political, and psychological forces embedded within literature.[1] This way of thinking and criticizing works can be said to have changed the way literary texts are viewed and studied, as well as changing and expanding the canon of what is commonly taught. It is used a lot in Greek myths.[2]
Traditionally, feminist literary criticism has sought to examine old texts within literary canon through a new lens. Specific goals of feminist criticism include both the development and discovery of female tradition of writing, and rediscovering of old texts, while also interpreting symbolism of women's writing so that it will not be lost or ignored by the male point of view and resisting sexism inherent in the majority of mainstream literature. These goals, along with the intent to analyze women writers and their writings from a female perspective, and increase awareness of the sexual politics of language and style[3] were developed by Lisa Tuttle in the 1980s, and have since been adopted by a majority of feminist critics.
The history of feminist literary criticism is extensive, from classic works of nineteenth-century female authors such as George Eliot and Margaret Fuller to cutting-edge theoretical work in women's studies and gender studies by "third-wave" authors. Before the 1970s—in the first and second waves of feminism—feminist literary criticism was concerned with women's authorship and the representation of women's condition within the literature; in particular the depiction of fictional female characters. In addition, feminist literary criticism is concerned with the exclusion of women from the literary canon, with theorists such as Lois Tyson suggesting that this is because the views of women authors are often not considered to be universal.[4]
Additionally, feminist criticism has been closely associated with the birth and growth of queer studies. Modern feminist literary theory seeks to understand both the literary portrayals and representation of both women and people in the queer community, expanding the role of a variety of identities and analysis within feminist literary criticism.[5]
^"Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism". Purdue OWL. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^Plain, Gill; Sellers, Susan (2007). A History of Feminist Literary Criticism. Cambridge University Press.
^Tuttle, Lisa: Encyclopedia of feminism. Harlow: Longman 1986, p. 184
^Tyson, Lois (2006). Critical Theory: A User Friendly Guide 2nd Edition. New York: Routledge. pp. 107, 108. ISBN 978-0-415-61617-1.
^Raman, Selden; Widdowson, Peter (1993). A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory 3rd Edition. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 238, 239. ISBN 978-0813108162.
and 26 Related for: Feminist literary criticism information
Feministliterarycriticism is literarycriticism informed by feminist theory, or more broadly, by the politics of feminism. It uses the principles and...
of arts criticism, literarycriticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literarycriticism is often...
1941) is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues. She influenced feministliterarycriticism in the United States...
Psychoanalytic literarycriticism is literarycriticism or literary theory that, in method, concept, or form, is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis...
underpin feministliterarycriticism. Ellen Moers Ecriture feminine Feminist studies Quoted in J. Childers ed., The Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and...
Archetypal literarycriticism is a type of analytical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes (from the Greek archē...
Feminist revisionist mythology is feminist literature informed by feministliterarycriticism, or by the politics of feminism more broadly and that engages...
Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination is a 1979 book by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, in which they examine Victorian literature from a feminist perspective...
Helford List of feminist literature Feministliterarycriticism Blain, Virginia; Clements, Patricia; Grundy, Isobel (1990). The feminist companion to literature...
New Criticism was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated American literarycriticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. It emphasized...
Feministliterarycriticism Eco-criticism – explores cultural connections and human relationships to the natural world Gender (see feministliterary criticism)...
Marxist literarycriticism is a theory of literarycriticism based on the historical materialism developed by philosopher and economist Karl Marx. Marxist...
Rose, Ranjana Khanna, and Shoshana Felman. Feministliterarycriticism is literarycriticism informed by feminist theories or politics. Its history has been...
field of literarycriticism, Elaine Showalter describes the development of feminist theory as having three phases. The first she calls "feminist critique"...
Feminist art criticism emerged in the 1970s from the wider feminist movement as the critical examination of both visual representations of women in art...
American literary critic and poet who has published in the fields of feministliterarycriticism, feminist theory, and psychoanalytic criticism. She is...
classifications of sociological criticism, two of the most prominent being Marxist criticism and feministcriticism. LiterarycriticismLiterary theory Comparative...
writer, academic and feminist. She is the author of a number of works of science fiction, fantasy and feministliterarycriticism such as How to Suppress...
Laboratory Consortium, a U.S.-based technology transfer organization Feministliterarycriticism Ferroelectric liquid crystal Fisheries Law Centre, in Vancouver...
criticism by male and female authors. The literary historian Mary Eagleton cited Ellmann's book as one of two "significant texts" in early feminist theory...
patriarchy.: 27 Feministcriticism is an aspect of the feminist theology movement which began in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the feminist movement in the...
and philosopher, Julia Kristeva, has influenced feminist theory in general and feministliterarycriticism in particular. From the 1980s onwards, the work...
Trope and stock character in storytelling Feministliterarycriticism – Literarycriticism informed by feminist theory The Hawkeye Initiative – Satirical...
by feministliterary scholars, including The Woman's Part: FeministCriticism of Shakespeare and Making a Difference: FeministLiteraryCriticism. Greene...
Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and Cultural Criticism (1995) p. 252 Mary Eagleton ed., FeministLiteraryCriticism (1991) p. 6 Susan Faludi, Stiffed...
organised feminist movement, certain American poets have been lauded by feministliterarycriticism as early examples of feminist writers. Feminist poetry...