Feminism

Feminist Criticism

Introduction to Feminist Criticism

  • A unique approach to literature by viewing texts through the lens of women's roles in society.

  • Exploration of cookbooks as literature reflects societal views on gender roles.

Example Recipes and Gender Impressions

Example 1: Duck with Wild Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 ducks

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

  • 1 (5 ounce) package wild rice

  • 1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms and liquid

  • ½ cup butter

  • ½ cup flour

  • 1 ½ cups half and half

  • 1 (4 ounce) package slivered almonds, toasted

  • 2 ribs celery, chopped

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Boil duck, onion, and celery until tender.

  2. Remove meat from bones and set aside.

  3. Cook rice and set aside.

  4. Melt butter and sauté onion.

  5. Stir in flour and half-and-half to create a cream sauce.

  6. Add parsley and seasoning.

  7. Combine cooked duck, rice, mushrooms, and almonds into cream sauce.

  8. Bake in a casserole at 350° for 30–45 minutes.

  • Serves: 6–8

  • Author: Mrs. Charles T. Dekuester (Doris Van Vleit)

Example 2: Bessie's Birds Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 12 birds (dove or quail)

  • 1 cup beef consommé

  • 1 cup uncooked rice

  • 1 (10–3/4 ounce) can onion soup

  • ¼ cup chopped bell pepper

  • ½ cup flour

  • ¼ cup chopped onion

  • Salt and pepper

  • Butter or bacon drippings

Instructions:

  1. Sauté flour-coated birds in butter or bacon drippings to brown well.

  2. Place rice in the bottom of a buttered oblong casserole dish.

  3. Arrange browned birds on top of rice.

  4. Sprinkle peppers and onions over the birds.

  5. Pour consommé and onion soup over the casserole.

  6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

  • Serves: 6.

  • Chicken may be used as a substitute.

  • Author: Mrs. Hugh Guy (Viola Barette)

Analysis of Recipes in Context

  • Recipes reflect the perception of women’s roles confined to domestic spaces.

  • Recipes authored by women often note their marital status through the use of "Mrs."

  • Men's names are prioritized, showing patriarchal ownership of women's identities.

  • Confirms traditional gender roles where men are hunters (public) and women are caretakers (private).

Examination of Susan Glaspell's Trifles

Characters:

  • George Henderson - County Attorney

  • Henry Peters - Sheriff

  • Lewis Hale - Neighbor (farmer)

  • Mrs. Peters - Sheriff’s wife

  • Mrs. Hale - Neighbor (wife of Lewis Hale)

Setting:

  • A disorganized kitchen in the abandoned farmhouse of John Wright.

  • Signs of neglect, illustrating the domestic world of women.

Themes in Trifles:

  • Men’s dismissal of women’s domains as trivial reflects societal gender biases.

  • Women are named simply by their husbands’ names, while men have full identities.

  • The play highlights a woman’s loss of identity through marriage (Minnie Foster vs. Minnie Wright).

  • The setting emphasizes the gender divide and how women’s work is undervalued.

Central Symbolism:

  • Preservation and Independence: Minnie’s canning equates to her attempts to preserve her role and dignity.

  • The women hide the evidence of Minnie’s crime, marking their solidarity as judges in their own right.

Definitions of Feminism

Michael Kimmel & Thomas Mosmiller’s Definition (1992):

  1. Evidence exists that women are treated differently and unequally.

  2. There is inequality in private vs. public spheres.

  3. Such inequality poses a moral problem.

  4. Feminism is a commitment to change.

Barbara Smith’s Definition:

  • Feminism aims to liberate all women, regardless of race, class, or sexual orientation.

bell hooks’ Definition:

  • Feminism strives to end sexist oppression and restructure society for equitable self-development.

Concepts of Feminist Literary Criticism

  • A tool for examining literature as a cultural reflection of gender attitudes.

  • Criticism categorized into three stages:

    1. Patriarchal Criticism: Examines male prejudices against women in literature.

    2. Gynocriticism: Focuses on women writers and their recognition in the literary canon.

    3. Feminine Writing: Investigates unique styles or themes in women’s writing as distinct from men's.

Gynocriticism Examples:

  • Kate Chopin's The Awakening

  • Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Literary Canon Historical Context:

  • 1968 Norton Anthology: No women included.

  • 1996 Norton Anthology: Inclusion of noteworthy women authors, reflecting changes in societal views on women's literature.

Feminine Writing Stages (Elaine Showalter, 1977):

  1. Imitation or Feminine (1840–80): Women imitating male writers.

  2. Protest or Feminist (1880–1920): Women writing politically against male oppression.

  3. Self-Discovery or Female (1920–): Women exploring female experiences and identities.

Gender Criticism

  • Extends feminist criticism by examining constructs of gender and sexuality.

  • Addresses LGBTQ issues and critiques the simplistic view of gender as binary.

Essentialism vs. Constructionism:

  • Essentialism: Suggested innate differences in gender.

  • Constructionism: Gender is socially constructed through culture.

Examples from Literature

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:

  • Illustrates the debate on essentialist views of gender.

  • Jim's advice to Huck on how to act like a girl demonstrates societal norms around gender performance.

Heteronormativity and its Critique:

  • Same-sex desires often go unrecognized or hidden within societal structures.

Queer Theory Insights

  • Challenges norms of sexuality using the Kinsey Scale (0-6).

  • Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick explores dynamics of male relationships avoiding overt sexuality.

Conclusion

  • Recognizing previously hidden texts and interpretations from marginalized voices contributes greatly to the understanding of gender and sexuality in literature.