Feminist Theory

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Feminist Theory

• By Janita P. Clark
• English 1102 (H)
• Ms. Cranford

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Definition

• Feminist Theory
• Understands the nature of inequality and focuses
  on gender politics, power relations, and
  sexuality.
• Analyzing gender inequality and the promotion of
  womens rights, interests, and issues.

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Definition Cont

• Of all the terms, feminism is probably the most
  complex. It describes the word as rare, and
  defines it as the qualities of females.
• Since the end of the 19th century the word comes
  increasingly to be applied to those committed to
  and struggling for equal rights for women.

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Important Terms

• Psychoanalytic Feminism- is a social movement
  based on the work Sigmund Freud and his
  psychoanalytic theories. It maintains that gender
  is not biological but is based on the
  psycho-sexual development of the individual.
  Psychoanalytical feminists believe that gender
  inequality comes from early childhood experiences
  that lead men to believe themselves to masculine,
  and women to believe themselves feminine.
• Marxist feminism- is a sub-type of feminist
  theory which focuses on the level of capitalism
  as a way to liberate women. It also states that
  it gives rise to economic inequality, dependence,
  political confusion and ultimately unhealthy
  social relations between men and women.

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Important Terms cont

• Three terms that makes a useful distinction
  between three similar terms that provides a good
  starting point are
• Feminism A political position
• Femaleness a matter of biology
• Femininity a set of culturally defined
  characteristics.

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Feminist Literary Criticism

• The term Feminist Criticism is used to included
  more than literary criticism, but it signifies a
  critique of indulgent aspects of the culture as a
  whole.
• The most significant earlier 20th century
  treatment of women as writers is, by general
  agreement. Virginia Woolfs A Room of Ones Own,
  applies to the word literature, which is
  substituted for fiction. This defines the major
  directions in which feminist explore literature.
• There is also a distinction to be made between
  views that seek to reduce the differences between
  the gender roles as much a possible, while
  seeking to overcome male dominances, emphasize
  differences.

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Feminist Criticism

• The term feminism is usually treated as an
  umbrella term to describe those (normally women
  but sometimes also men) who disagree with
  Virginia Woolf that there are no more rights to
  be achieved for women, and who think that it is
  necessary to struggle against the oppression of
  women on a number of different planes Social and
  economic.

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The Tempest

• Due to Miranda being secluded on an island with
  just her father and Caliban. Mirandas
  experiences are little to none. She has had no
  experiences to base any decisions on and her
  views are based on only what her father has given
  her. Miranda is very submissive to men, and has
  no wants for herself. She was raised to do
  whatever men want her to do.
• Miranda is naïve due to her lack of experiences
  and her life was closed off and she had no
  judgment on anything.

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THANK YOU!