British Literature on November 4, 2014
Please take out your journals.
• Students will be able to understand the
foundations of Feminist literary theory.
HOW?
• “Male Gaze”
• Postmodern Feminism
• Queer Theory
Laura Mulvey
“Visual Pleasure and
Narrative Cinema”
The concept of gaze is one that deals with
how an audience views the people
presented.
For feminists it can be thought of in 3
ways:
•
How men look at women
•
How women look at themselves
•
How women look at other women
The camera lingers on the curves of the female
body, and events which occur to women are
presented largely in the context of a man's reaction
to these events.
Relegates women to the status of objects. The
female viewer must experience the narrative
secondarily, by identification with the male.
Again, this demonstrates the marginalization of
women.
Laura Mulvey coined the term ‘Male
Gaze’ in 1975. She believes that in film
audiences have to ‘view’ characters from
the perspective of a heterosexual male.
This theory can be provided in literature
as well. How are women described and
represented? In Beowulf and SGGK, it is
through the eyes of male heterosexual
society.
Jonathan Schroeder (1998), “to gaze
implies more than to look at – it signifies
a psychological relationship of power, in
which the gazer is superior to the object
of the gaze.”
Silently read and annotate the first page
of your packet.
“I love the way she fills
her clothes.
She looks just like them
girls in Vogue.”
Be prepared for
questions!
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=7ABNEjPxWEg
While we watch
the music
video, analyze
the “Male
Gaze” and
other aspects
of Feminist
literary theory.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What color top was the girl wearing?
What color top was the boy wearing?
What bowling lane was used?
What color belt did the girl wear? What color belt
did the boy wear?
5. What color shoes did the girl wear? What color
shoes did the boy wear?
6. What color were the girl’s eyes? What color were
the boy’s eyes?
7. Why were some of these questions difficult?
In your four-column chart, record the following
information:
How should boys
act? What should
they look like? What
should they be
interested in?
How should men
act? What should
they look like? What
should they be
interested in?
How should girls
act? What should
they look like? What
should they be
interested in?
How should women
act? What should
they look like? What
should they be
interested in?
Objectives:
• Students will be able to understand the
foundations of feminist literary theory.
• Students will be able to analyze the symbolism
in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
HOW?
• Postmodern Feminist Theory
• Gender Pronouns & Language Evolution
• Pentangle Activity
HAPPY THESAURUS
THURSDAY!
British Literature
Read and annotate a summary of her claims in her book Gender Troubles.
How should a boy
act? What should
they look like? What
should they be
interested in?
How should a man
act? What should
they look like? What
should they be
interested in?
How should a girl
act? What should
they look like? What
should they be
interested in?
How should a
woman act? What
should they look
like? What should
they be interested
in?
2) Look over your chart. What happens when
people do not fit into their roles? How does society
treat them? How do you think we should treat them?
• Read and annotate the article “Gender-Neutral
Pronouns” from the Washington Post. Remember
to have an open mind and to consider the
evolution of language that we have witnessed
in our studies.
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/
gender-neutral-pronouns-when-they-doesntidentify-as-either-male-orfemale/2014/10/27/41965f5e-5ac0-11e4b812-38518ae74c67_story.html