Premium Essay

Feminism Criticism

In:

Submitted By mikeestes18
Words 354
Pages 2
Michael Estes
Professor Wallace
English 101
17 July 2012
Feminist Criticism Literary criticism is an analysis, interpretation, or evaluation of any literary work that can be applied to novels, poetry, essays, and various other forms of literature. There are numerous types of literary criticism including archetypal, Marxist, and readers-response. The theory of feminism criticism, another type of literary criticism, originated in France and the Netherlands and emphasizes on gender inequality and female's social roles. Feminism criticism can be seen as many forms of literary expressions such as poetry, essays, short stories, and novels. Feminism can also be examined through current events, fictional, and how those two are correlated. W.E.B. DuBois was an author who wrote the essay, "Double Consciousness." One can interpret feminism criticism from his text. "After the Egyptian an Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh-son..." This can be interpreted as females come after everybody else. In other words, society puts all others -- Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians -- ahead of females. For example, as terrible as they were treated, African-Americans received the privilege to vote in 1868, fifty years previous to the women receiving similar rights. As seen above, feminism is not always directly displayed so one must interpret it from the text. "Karintha," written by Jean Toomer, is a fictional story about a young lady who was the object of desire to many of the gentlemen in the town. Fiction is another form of literature that one can interpret feminism criticism from. In the story, Karintha was often objectified by the older gentlemen because of her attractiveness. She was stripped of her childhood by offering up her body to the gentlemen and ended up getting impregnated. Feminism criticism can be

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Re: Week 10

...Worksheet for Viewing The Arts of Criticism . . . Giving and Receiving Name: __Rahul Anantoju____________________________ After viewing the video, please answer the following questions: 1. What is the purpose of the self-test for someone giving criticism? To think about giving criticism making sure criticism is legitimate or not, to make situation better for everybody, to help. 2. Which comes first, your self-test or the EPM formula? Self-test 3. Have you seen others criticize like Everett did the first time? What happened? Yes I did, and my boss was angry at a colleague for not attending a meeting, and criticized. My colleague defended, as a result, things did not work well between the two. 4. Have you ever taken criticism personally? What did you do? I haven’t taken any criticism personally and always learnt from it. 5. What did Beverly have to gain from listening to the criticism? It was hurting Beverly’s career and the company, added cost and nearly lost the client for one project 6. What does EPM stand for? E-empathize P-pin point problems M-move forward 7. Read the following scenario and fill in E, P, M: a. Carlos, who has a desk close to yours, often borrows items from your desk while you are away. When he returns these items, they are often damaged – the stapler is broken, or the policy manual has pages missing. You’ve kept silent about it for several months, but now you are especially upset because the batteries are...

Words: 509 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Blankdoc

...Game Journal 6 The school of criticism that made the most sense to me was by far the biographical critique. In my opinion the vast majority of the other critiques read as though the author was simply trying to find examples for that particular type of critique where there was probably very little intentioned meaning behind it. Some of the meaning behind the game that was analyzed seemed as though it was forced. The biographical critique, however, analyzes the author’s intent behind the game using quotes from the author himself. This lends more authority to the critique and prevented it from feeling as though meaningless aspects of the game were being critiqued. In the biographical critique for Katamari Damacy the critic uses the author’s own words to describe how the author intended the game to affect his audience. This is information straight from the source and thus allows for the game to be looked at in a new light. The author intended the game’s peaceful, fun, game that is almost devoid of conflict to brighten the lives of everyone that played it and thus make the world better. The critic in a more thorough analysis could then have described whether the game is successful in doing that, and if so by how much. The biographical critique provided the author’s motivations behind making the game. This is a strong basis on which to critique the game. Analyze the author’s intent behind making the game along with how well the game imparts the author’s message. By doing this...

Words: 344 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Film

.... 7) “Write a critical study of a recent Spanish or Latin American film or play that you have seen, and that has made a social or political impact in the country in which you are living. You should bring into your study criticism and reviews, both from the press and, where possible, from academic sources, and…discuss the ways in which the film has been received and analysed, making comparisons with other films where appropriate.” Almodóvar ’s 2001, La piel que habito, received mixed reviews from Spanish critics, one favourably calling it an “irracionalidad transcendida” whereas Spanish film critic Carlos Boyero called it a “notable idiotez”. However, most critics agree that this film merits a second viewing in order to appreciate the rich texture of the film, in which a lonely and haunted plastic surgeon (Banderas) becomes dangerously entangled with his personal experiment, Vicente, or “Vera” (Anaya) whom he believed had assaulted his mentally ill daughter, provoking her suicide. The film is the director’s first exploration of science fiction, containing an amalgamation of themes concerning gender and sexuality identity, whilst at the same time exploring the prison house of the self. In this essay I will discuss the ways in which these main themes are manifested in the plot and cinematography, their effect and finally the way in which Spanish critics have received Almodóvar’s latest work. Entrapment, or, the prison house of the self, is the confinement that all...

Words: 2230 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Models Not Critics

...First Essay Discovery Draft “Young people need models not critics,” has got to be everything I’ve ever tried to explain to other adults in six simple words. I feel as though it’s in an adult’s nature to judge the younger generation in ways that no one would like to be judged. Although their assumptions could be true some assumptions are literally ridiculous. Some adults criticize our every move, some not as much as others, but for the ones who do there’s a pattern in their behavior. After they point out our flaws and mistakes, adults switch up and do the same thing they never told us to do. Now I completely understand when an adult wants us to do the right thing and not follow in their footsteps, but a lot of the younger generation goes with the slogan “seeing is believing.” In my own opinion talk is cheap, and I would rather see something actually happen in the case of critiquing. Fix yourself before you try and fix somebody else’s mistakes. Being the age that I am, I’m only speaking from the younger generation’s side. I may be wrong but my opinion on “Young people need models not critics” still holds. I do however slightly understand when adults want us to know right from wrong, and know to do the right thing. My problem with this is after or in some occasions before they preach to us about being the best we can be, they demonstrate the total opposite. Being part of the younger generation I’m not sure if I’m speaking for myself when I say we don’t need a how to. What we...

Words: 441 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Example Of A Feminist Lens Essay

...Feminism is the “theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (Merriam-Webster). Feminism is combatting all of the notions and systems of oppression against women, such as the Glass Ceiling, to advocate in the ideas and validity of women. Most advocates of Feminism have become Feminist critics. Feminist critics are more “concerned with the ways in which literature [, or roles in society,] reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women” (The OWL at Purdue 2010). Feminist critics call their practice, reading through “Feminist Lens”, which is the idea of reading literature and “striving to expose the explicit and implicit misogyny in male writing about women” (Richter 2016). The Feminist lens are feminist critics way to expose the negative perceptions of women that is expressed by...

Words: 1324 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Best Practices Supervisor’s Manual

...11. Demonstrating Communication Skills: Giving and Receiving Criticism Throughout a supervisor’s career, he or she will be expected to critique an employee’s performance and provide feedback. In addition, he or she will be the object of criticism, both in job performance and the way in which he or she responds to the employees. A supervisor may feel that it is only the intent of the message that matters, but proper delivery is important as well (Chambers, 74). A good critique must be necessary to the employee’s performance. It should be noted that it is a waste of time to criticize factors that are not important to the job. This evaluation should also be fair and positive and intended to improve one’s job performance. This communication should be tactful, fair and kept in a positive light. The supervisor should also be able to receive criticism. He or she should remember that these comments are intended to improve performance and to help develop a better relationship with employees. Developing Effective Listening Skills A supervisor needs to be an effective listener. In order to be effective, one must want to be effective. The first suggestion for improving this skill is to engage in active listening practices, such as repeating the information in order to confirm understanding (Chambers, 162). One might also want to time the discussion so that it takes place during the peak of the day’s energy (such as first thing in the morning). Most importantly, an individual with good...

Words: 688 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

What My School Needs

...teaching students how to professionally critique fellow classmates work and how to handle criticism of their own work. Most classes require students to present their assignments or projects to the entire class and students are encouraged to give their opinions and thoughts on the presented work. This is where I’ve noticed that many students struggle or fall short. Many are afraid to comment on others work, either because that is their friend or because they feel if they say something that isn’t boosting the presented work then others would do the same when it comes to his or her turn. Students need to able to give constructive criticism in a professional manner and not be concerned about it sounding harsh or “I did not want to hurt his/her feelings”. In the real world being able to criticize presented artwork or design work in the right manner is very important as it shows knowledge in the topic and being able to make one understand where him or her can get better. The same goes for accepting criticism. I experienced a situation where a student got so upset that she started crying because not everyone in the class thought her work was executed right. Students need to be taught on how to accept criticism and use it to better themselves rather than taking it negatively. Upon talking to a few students I’ve noticed that their main concern is they feel that their work didn’t deserve the criticism and it...

Words: 413 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Argumentative Essay

...Jenia De Silva, M.Ed NAV 501 16 March 2016 Is Criticism Beneficial? In every part of the organization, there will always be criticism involved from someone else whether that criticism is regarding business, politics, sports and among others. Most of the time people consider criticism in a negative aspect since it usually creates anger, resentment, frustration and among others to the one who usually received the criticism. Therefore, whenever we receive criticism from someone else, we immediately create an unfavorable outcome towards that person. But did you know that not all criticisms are harmful or produced a negative consequence; in fact, it would still be beneficial to the person who received the criticism? There are two types of criticism namely constructive and destructive criticism. Constructive criticism is the one that intends only to give feedback for improvement/suggestion whether positive or negative about a particular product, service or event/performance. On the contrary, destructive criticism does not intend to give feedback for improvement/suggestion to someone else’s work but rather it intends to harm someone’s feelings by giving direct insult to his/her work or personality. Both types of criticism can be beneficial; it just depends on how it was handled by someone else when the situation arises. The criticism if properly managed can give several benefits to someone who usually received the criticism from other people such as it can help improve...

Words: 978 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Feminism

...Socialist Feminist Criticism: You Dropped the Bomb on Me, Baby     Feminism and gender studies have been described as having the ability to “challenge literary and culture theory to confront the difficult task of assimilating the findings of an expanding sphere of inquiry” (Contemporary Literary Criticism 567). This area of study has taken center stage during the last fifty years, not only in our society, but also in literary criticism. Although the terrain Feminism traverses can hardly be narrowed down to one single definition, the exploration of the genre can, at times, be the most intriguing feature of the criticism itself. While feminism has undoubtedly changed the way women and gender roles are considered in society today, it has also had an impact on the way that I, too, read literature, look at American culture, and view the world.     Walter Ong suggests that “‘literature’ itself is the product of—or completely wound up and ‘imbricated’ in—the social contexts out of which it grows” (CLC 461). The social contexts that exist in our society have not only affected our societal systems themselves, but also have changed the way we view our class systems, gender roles, and sexual choices. Viewing society from a Marxist perspective can also help us decipher the unspoken rules that govern us. “Not only do Marxist critics want criticism to be constantly aware of history—both present and past history—in reading and literature, they also demand that the criticism become more overtly...

Words: 1145 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Complaining vs Getting Involved

...complain about our pay cuts, loss of benefits, and our work conditions. I also hear about how much our job has changed, how benefits and work related rules that protect and alleviate our work conditions seem like a dream, a thing from the past. When I go to the supermarket, or even attend church I hear, my congregation complaining. It seems hard to get away from all of this negativity, and at times, trying to stay positive and non-reactive can feel almost impossible. Yes its bound to happen, we all encounter difficulties in our lives, most of them unexpectedly. I can affirm and confirm that most of us, during these difficult times will feel the need to complain, and allow ourselves to be part of this negative wave that can drive us to criticism as well as negative thinking and complaining. We often hear that famous proverb, “misery likes company.” Can this be true? Are we all compelled day-by-day to act and react?...

Words: 781 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Feminist Movement: The Unrealistic Expectations Of Women

...These unrealistic expectations of women set by society have had a profound effect on women. The feminist movement urges women to dismiss these expectations and for women to just be themselves. Feminism is needed in order to get rid of the ridiculous expectations of women in society such as “effortless perfection” in order for women to be truly successful in society. Every movement has opposition and feminism definitely has its opponents. One of the biggest arguments against feminism is that women already have equal rights so feminism is no longer needed. One of the reasons women actually do not have equal rights still today is because the Equal Rights Amendment has still yet to be passed. This amendment would make it illegal to discriminate in the work force on the basis of sex (King). Another argument against feminism is that feminists are deemed angry and aggressive. Yes, feminists do get angry sometimes, but it is because many of the inequalities that women go through are rough and painful. It is also a common misconception that men cannot be feminists. This is untrue because the ideals of feminism are not only for women but also for men. Once again feminism is not about women being better than men;...

Words: 568 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Assess the Contribution of Feminist Perspectives to Our Understanding of Society

...Assess the contribution of feminist perspectives to our understanding of society. (33 marks) Feminism is a set of ideologies used to advance the cause of women’s equality and to end the sexist theory and practice of social oppression. It is a structuralist theory which is made up of several versions, but they all argue that society is patriarchal. The types of feminism I will be reviewing are liberal feminism, radical feminism, marxist feminism, and difference feminism. Aside from all agreeing that society is patriarchal, these versions of feminism disagree on two levels; the extent of patriarchy in society and also what needs to be done to create gender equality. Firstly, liberal feminism. Liberal feminists believe all humans should be treated equally; however they believe that women aren’t treated equally to men in society. Liberal feminists suggest that to create greater gender equality laws that are unfavourable to women need to be changed in order to present women with greater opportunities. Oakley distinguishes between sex and gender, referring to sex as the biological differences between males and females such as their reproductive role, whereas she refers to gender as culturally constructed differences between masculine and feminine roles and identities assigned to males and females. Liberal feminists therefore disagree with the functionalist Parsons who believed that males and females perform the roles they are biologically suited to do, contrarily believing...

Words: 912 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

What Is The Role Of Feminism In The Awakening, By Kate Chopin

...In today’s society there is a taboo f-word that leaves people feeling uncomfortable, offended, and angry: feminism. Feminism today is often demonized, met with opposition like “meninists”, and is associated with the ugly-armpit-hair-having-lesbian stereotype. It is often used as a punchline, a criticism for women who get a little too angry for comfort. Not only are these views of feminism wrong and insulting, they highlight exactly why feminism is needed. The resistance to feminism is largely based in a lack of understanding of what feminism truly stands for. Contrary to the opposition’s belief, the feminist movement promotes equality for women and men, and strives to erase the perspective that being feminine equates to being of a lesser value....

Words: 910 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Feminism

...Feminism refers to political, cultural, and economic movements aimed at establishing greater rights, legal protection for women, and or women's liberation. It includes some of the sociological theories and philosophies concerned with issues of gender difference. Nancy Cott defines feminism as the belief in the importance of gender equality, invalidating the idea of gender hierarchy as a socially constructed concept. Feminism has earned itself a bad reputation, but it never undermined gender differences that exist between males and females. A man can never be as good a mother as a female can. Similarly, a woman can never be as good a father as a male can. While accepting these anatomical and physiological differences between the two genders, feminism seeks for both genders to be equally respected. They are both human and as a species, humans cannot progress without either one of them. Maggie Humm and Rebecca Walker divide the history of feminism into three waves. The first wave transpired in the nineteenth and early twentieth century’s, the second occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, and the third extends from the 1990s to the present. In each wave of the movement, though men have taken part in significant responses to feminism, the relationship between men and feminism has been complex. Historically, a number of men have engaged with feminism. Philosopher Jeremy Bentham demanded equal rights for women in the eighteenth century. In 1866, philosopher John Stuart Mill presented a women's...

Words: 1249 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Should Mary Wollstonecraft and Hannah More Be Defined as Feminists?

...ideology, there is not a defining answer as to what feminism means. The Oxford English Dictionary defines feminism as the “advocacy of equality of the sexes and the establishment of the political, social, and economic rights of the female sex”. The term ‘feminist’ itself has been used in the United Kingdom since the 1880s but it’s philosophy had been dated back centuries before. Since then it’s meaning has evolved into different branches from radical feminism to liberal feminism for example, and is used on a political platform. It is fact that both Mary Wollstonecraft and Hannah More are examples of women who philosophised about women’s rights and their place in society. They both produced published works discussing women in society focused upon educational reform, and many have debated the extent to which they should be considered feminists. However, although their views contradicted each other, based on the modern day definition of feminism, both Wollstonecraft and More should be considered feminists for numerous reasons. Firstly, it is indisputable that Mary Wollstonecraft was a feminist and even as far to be considered as the “founder of western feminism”. In Wollstonecraft’s writings, a new female value is consciously introduced and effectively infused into a movement across the late eighteenth century. There are many books that focus on Wollstonecraft’s thought alone as they all depict the influences and meanings of feminism to Wollstonecraft. They all commonly convey significance...

Words: 2199 - Pages: 9