Feminism Critical Anthology

Does deviating from one’s gender norms inevitably doom one down a spiral of moral corruption? Tim O'Brien, author of “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” and Ernest Hemingway, author of “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, certainly seem to hold this view, as evident by the fates of the major female characters in their respective works. The deviance of the major female characters in both works appears to corrupt not only themselves, but also pollute their partners, causing them to suffer injury or harm as a result. The degree of injury ranges from negligible, like Fossie’s demotion and broken heart, to fatal, like the bullet that rips through Macomber’s skull. It begs the question, are these stories meant to serve as cautionary tales for their female readers, or possibly for their husbands, so they may recognize gender deviance and stop it in its tracks before their wives transform into Margot Macomber or Mary Anne Bell? This essay will analyze what such characters say about pervading views of women, both in society and in literature.

It is possible to argue that Duffy's collection Feminine Gospels is a cry of rage and frustration. Certainly, The Map Woman and The Laughter of Stafford Girls' High present the persona's rage at the suppression of their individuality and identity, whilst The Diet presents Duffy's frustration at the expectations society places upon women.

There is significant evidence throughout both 'The Long Queen ' and The Map Women ' to indicate that suffering is a central element of female experience. Both of these poems are present in the 'Feminine Gospels ' written by Carol Ann Duffy. The collection of poetry is seen to be teachings of feminism aiming to provide the reader visions of female identity. One feature of this identity that is examined within these two poems is the theme of mental and physical suffering that women universally endure.

There is significant evidence throughout both 'The Long Queen' and The Map Women' to indicate that suffering is a central element of female experience. Both poems are present in the 'Feminine Gospels' written by Carol Ann Duffy. The collection of poetry is seen to be teachings of feminism aiming to provide the reader visions of female identity. One feature of this identity that is examined within these two poems is the theme of mental and physical suffering that women universally endure.

The most prevalent and popular stereotype of the post World war II era in America is one filled with women abandoning their wartimes jobs and retreating into the home to fulfill their womanly duties. In Joanne Meyerowitz’s Beyond the Feminine Mystique: A reassessment of Postwar Mass Culture, she shows how far women departed from this one dimensional image. While Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique is reflexive and focused on the mainstream, Meyerowitz’s analysis is a broader and more inclusive exploration of media, as she draws upon multiple sources. Although Friedan effectively unveiled the thought process and reasoning behind society's belief that the message of media was to make women think that their place was to be the happy housewife, Meyerowitz expanded her media archives and found a differing message in analyzing both female responses to media and exploring their stories.

Presenting literature to the public that is meant to be a commentary on social or political issues, masked under the guise of entertaining and fictional, is a tool implemented by authors and activists for centuries. While not all satire is as overt as Jonathan Swift’s suggestion that we eat the babies, it does not diminish the eyebrow raising suggestions that are conveyed once the meaning has been discovered. In Aphra Behn’s The History of the Nun and Eliza Haywood’s Fantomina, the established expectations of the female role within society are brought into question then directly rejected. These expectations establish that women should be deferential to men, morally unblemished, and virtuous at all times. Men, however, are not held to these expectations in the same way. The masculine roles assumed by Isabella and Fantomina demonstrate a private rebellion against the established patriarchal society as it warns against the under-estimation of women and proves that women exist independently.

The definition of feminism is very elusive. Maybe because of its ever-changing historical meaning, it’s not for certain whether there is any coherence to the term feminism or if there is a definition that will live up to the movement’s variety of adherents and ideas. In the book “No Turning Back,” author Estelle Freedman gives an accurate four-part definition of the very active movement: “Feminism is a belief that women and men are inherently part of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies” (Freedman 7).

In this essay, I will be exploring the similarities and differences of female characters in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams; and ‘The World’s Wife’ by Carol Ann Duffy. Both texts denote women as somewhat weak and incompetent and as having a predatory attitude towards the mainly dominant male characters. A Streetcar Named Desire was written in 1945 and it initially connected with America’s new found taste for realism following the Great Depression and World War II. William’s based the character of Blanche on his sister who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Williams himself was homosexual, and

Haney-Peritz attributes this to it being, “unreadable in its own time because neither men nor women readers had access to a tradition of shared context which would have made the “female meaning” of the text clear” (122). However, in 1973, “the story’s feminist thrust” (113) was illuminated and these key ideas that embody a feminist story are examined by Haney-Peritz.

Compare and contrast the ways in which Duffy and Williams present relationships relationships between men and women in ‘The World’s Wife’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ The relationships that occur between men and women in ‘The World’s Wife’ and a ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ have both similarities and differences in such that some of the women presented are subjected to subservient positions and some overcome these demeaning roles whereas others continue to be shown as staying in the portrayal of the inferior women. The men, on the other hand, are mostly presented as using their sexuality to attract women, or use them. Many relationships are founded on sex and little romantic feelings are involved.

Books that are composed by feminist writers in particular time periods can have numerous similarities. For instance, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Awakening by Kate Chopin, both express the battle of a lady's liberation from regular societal difficulties. Both creators immovably provide cases of how two ladies originating from differentiating societies can harbor the same interests. In spite of the fact that in distinctive time periods both works pass on comparative messages. Hurston places her fundamental character, Janie, in a transcendently isolated time period while Chopin picks a more persuasive time of American extravagance for her character, Edna. The tale of how temptations, ways of life, and impacts upon

This paper will analyze, the bill dubbed as the “slapping law”, in Russia. Using the perspective of Radical Feminist Thought, I argue that such violence is normalized through the lack of current public resistance to this crime and contends that women themselves begin to see this type of treatment as acceptable. Structurally, this paper will begin by providing a concise summary of the values of Radical feminism to give clarification on the standpoint of this feminist position in analysis of the current event. It will describe the history of criminalizing domestic violence; how liberal and radical feminist views differ in looking at the private/public and how popular understanding of domestic violence has shifted significantly over the years

I decided to write my paper on Lorraine Code’s article about feminist epistemology. Code talks about how in philosophy there are many different ideas that exist relating to knowledge. Code talks about how in the world of philosophy there are many different “knowers” or people who have obtained knowledge and given out their ideas to be followed by society. The problem was that during the time period when western philosophy was so prominent, men were looked at as being above females and that the knowledge of a man was more accurate than the knowledge of a woman. Code talks about how it is important to look at the character of the person and their interest in the issue they gave knowledge on. She believes that the sex of the knower is significant

Women’s rights and feminism have been issues in the American culture for many years. To address these views, Judy Brady lists in her literary work the roles of a wife in the 1970s while describing many stereotypes women fall victim to. The article was settled around the idea that she feels subjugated as a wife. Her purpose is to speak out against the stereotypes that society has created to make women have only one role. Writing from the point of view of a wife and a woman, she reveals certain expectations, assumptions, and views about women’s world. She wants people to see what a wife really does and her wish that the gender roles be flipped and as a result, equality will come. She targets not only women with feminist views, but American society, which is controlled by men. By writing in a demanding and sarcastic style, Judy Brady’s “I want a Wife” satire, appeals to ethos, pathos and logos as she asks rhetorical questions using repetition and anaphora to confront the patriarchal society and suggest change.

"People who are liberal thinkers have been enslaved by these poseurs, these racketeers, people who are pretending to be liberal but who are in fact just naïve politically. I have been congratulated by women...who are so sick of being bullied by these sanctimonious puritans who call themselves feminists." --Camille Paglia