Topic Presentation
Feminist criticism is an interdisciplinary field that examines women’s roles and representations in literature and culture. It is a critical approach rooted in feminist theory and seeks to challenge the oppressive structures in society. I am personally interested in feminist criticism because I believe in its potential to challenge oppressive structures in society and create a more equitable power dynamic.
I am fascinated by the different theories and approaches used to analyze and critique gender roles in literature and culture. I am also intrigued by the work of the early theorists and scholars who founded the field and created a space for these discussions. The field was pioneered by theorists such as Judith Butler, Bell Hooks, and Simone de Beauvoir, who laid the groundwork for the development of feminist criticism. My literature review will build upon the works of scholars by exploring the current debates and theories in the field and taking a stance that feminist criticism is an essential tool to challenge oppressive power structures in society.
Literature Review
Barry, P. (2020). Feminist criticism. In Beginning Theory (4th edition) (pp. 123-140). Manchester University Press.
This material is directly related and significant to feminist criticism since it offers an outline of the field’s history, as well as arguments and conflicts. Moreover, it discusses the function of theory, the structure of language, and the importance of psychoanalysis in feminist criticism. The source also contains an example of feminist critique in Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar’s description of Wuthering Heights. As a result, this source offers vital details of the current and historical methodologies of feminist criticism.
Green, G., & Kahn, C. (2020). Making a difference: Feminist literary criticism. Taylor & Francis.
The goal of feminist literary criticism is to investigate how gender is produced in literature. This book by Green and Kahn (2020) introduces the critical practice approaches employed to investigate this notion. It contains a compilation of articles by notable feminist literary critics that discuss the importance of gender in the academic profession. Its relevance stems from its emphasis on investigating how literature may be utilized to question and alter established gender norms.
Honig, B. (2021). Shell-shocked: Feminist criticism after Trump. Fordham University Press.
This book is a compilation of writings that contribute significantly to feminist criticism in the context of daily politics. In the text, Honig (2021) discusses how patriarchy persists in the present political context and how feminist critique may be utilized to combat the inequities of shock politics. Her work is pertinent to my topic since she uses literary models to demonstrate the strength of feminist criticism. This book is a significant source since it offers a distinct viewpoint on feminist criticism and demonstrates the ability of this method to work for democratic regeneration.
Singh, J. (2022). Feminist literary and cultural criticism: An analytical approach to space. Springer.
Singh’s book provides vital tools for feminist literary criticism and interdisciplinary studies. It investigates works from many genres and cultures, using the spatial gynocritics paradigm to evaluate how female artists destabilize and demolish societal hierarchies (Singh, 2022). Singh’s academic credentials and achievements, as well as the book’s comparative perspective, make it invaluable for understanding feminist criticism and its applications in my research.
Westkott, M. (2019). Feminist criticism of the social sciences. In Feminist research methods (pp. 58-68). Routledge.
When researching feminist critique of the social sciences, Westkott’s work is an essential resource to consult. As such, Westkott’s (2019) theses, which argue that knowledge is dialectic and that feminist investigation may have liberatory and critical power, provides a valuable framework for analyzing feminist inquiry’s effect on the material, theory, and methodology of the social sciences. Thus, her study is a valuable resource for examining how to implement feminist criticism in the humanities.