Llugdar, Patricia
Pereyra, Marina
Literary Studies II
Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
FRVM-Regional Villa María
Licenciatura en Lengua Inglesa
2012
Organization
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Key facts about Feminism
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Lois Tyson

Stephen Bonnycastle
Analysis of:
 Story of an Hour
 Phenomenal Woman
Activity on the Wiki
 Brick Lane
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What is Feminism?
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Which are the aims of feminist theory?
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Which are the beginnings of Feminism?
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Which are the modern western feminist
movements?
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“Broadly defined, feminist criticism examines the ways
in which literature (and other cultural production)
reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social
and psichological oppression of women.”(Tyson, 81)
“… “habit of seeing”, a way of looking at life, that uses
male experience as the standard…”(Tyson,82)
Male point of view: universal, part of the literary canon
“Patriarchal woman…..a woman who has internalized
the norms and values of patriarchy…” (Tyson, 83)
Traditional Gender Roles
‘Biological essentialism’
Difference between the words ‘gender’ and ‘sex’
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Traditional Gender Roles
American stereotypes
Classical Fairy tales: “good girls”
“bad girls”
“Prince Charming”
Feminist criticims in movies
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Patriarcal ideologies
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“…woman is other…” (Tyson, 90)
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‘phallogocentric thinking’
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‘Sex’ and ‘Gender’
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‘Feminist Activism’
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Gender issues in Literature
Differentiating patriarchal modes of writing
and ‘écriture fémenine’
 Finding contradictions in ideologies
 ‘Deconstructing’
 Combining theories to be critical on schools of
thoughts
 Interpreting subjectively
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White feminism vs. black feminism
“Therefore, the promotion of sisterhood --psychological and political bonding among
women based on the recognition of common
experiences and goals--- must include respect for
and attention to individual differences among
women as well as an equitable distribution of
power among various cultural groups within
feminist leadership” (Tyson, 96)
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“Approaches that attempt to develop a specifically
female framework for the analysis of women’s writing
are often referred to as gynocriticism.”(Tyson, 101)
Patriarchal or Feminist agenda
Resistance to patriarchy through sisterhood
Cultural factors and gender
Women and creativity
Author’s style in writing
Historical/Public opinion about the literary work and
its operations of patriarchy
Relationship between the literary work and women’s
literary history
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“Patriarchal order”
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Sexism in Language, Literature and Criticism
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Carl Jung’s view on differences between
women and men
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Whose experience is rendered most fully and faithfully? (page 184, line
9)
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Are women presented as stereotypes? Are women seen as locked into
those patterns with no significant freedoms or flexibility?(page 184, line
33)
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Are masculine and feminine activities presented differently? Do men
dominate women or vice-versa? Is the text critical to women’s patriarchal
stereotypes? (page 184, line 34)
Based on Bonnyclastle’s theory

Whose desires and fantasies are driving the
novel? When it comes to an end, does the
feeling of completion come from the fact that
someone’s desires have been achieved?
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Who is the speaker and what is the occasion?
What is the central purpose of the poem?
By what means is that purpose achieved?
What does the history of the work’s reception by
the public and by the critics tell us about the
operations of patriarchy?
What role does the work play in terms of women’s
literary history and literary tradition?
Based on Tyson’s theory

What might an examination of the author’s
style contribute to the ongoing efforts to
delineate a specifically feminine form of
writing?
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Read the premises in Tyson’s Critical Theory
Today (page 90), watch until minute 12:10 and
find as many premises reflected there as
possible. Finally, give reasons and examples
for your choices.
Feminism aims at gaining a balance
between women and men in all spheres
of society, without having anyone
undiminished but treated fairly and
equally.
Angelou, Maya. The Complete Collection of Poems of Maya Angelou. Random
House,1994.Print.
Barnes &Noble. Meet the Writers Monica Ali.Barnesandnoble.com.lic.2011.Web.2
Mar.2012.
Bonnycastle, Stephen. In Search of Authority: An Introductory Guide to Literary Theory.
Ontario. Canada: Broadview Press,1997.Print.
BookRags. Encyclopedia of World Biography on Maya Angelou. Thomson
Gale.2006.Web. 2 Mar.2012.
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour. United Kingdom: Cambridge University
Press.,1996.Print.
Di Yanni, Robert. Literature. McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2000.
“Feminism”. Wikipedia Foundation,Inc. 21 Feb. 2012.Web. 2 Mar
2012.
“Maya Angelou”. The Free Dictionary Farflex,Inc.
2012.Web.2 Mar.2012.
Perrine, Laurence. Literature, Structure, Sound and Sense.
Harcourt, Brace & World, 1970.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Story of an Hour.”
SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 2 Mar. 2012.
Tyson,Lois. Critical Theory Today. NewYork/London: Garland
Publishing,Inc.,1999.Print.