Feminist Literary Theory: A Reader by Mary

Eagleton

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Original Title: Feminist Literary Theory

ISBN: 0631197346
ISBN13: 9780631197348
Autor: Mary Eagleton
Rating: 3 of 5 stars (1933) counts
Original Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Download Format: PDF, RTF, ePub, CHM, MP3.
Published: January 30th 1996 / by Wiley-Blackwell / (first published September 28th 1986)
Language: English
Genre(s):
Feminism- 14 users
Nonfiction- 6 users
Philosophy >Theory- 3 users
Criticism >Literary Criticism- 2 users

Description:

Radically revised and expanded from its original format, this second edition covers new material
on Black feminisms, and the impact of post-modernism on feminism. It is the perfect introduction
to feminist literary theory today.
About Author:

Other Editions:

- Feminist Literary Theory: A Reader (Paperback)

- Feminist Literary Theory (Paperback)

- Feminist Literary Theory: A Reader (Hardcover)

Books By Author:

- A Concise Companion to Feminist Theory

- Feminist Literary Criticism

- Figuring the Woman Author in Contemporary Fiction: Since 1970

 - Working with Feminist Criticism

- Attitudes to class in the English novel: from Walter Scott to David Storey.

Books In The Series:

Related Books On Our Site:

- Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader

- A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists From Bront to Lessing

- Homos

- What Is an Apparatus? and Other Essays

- Feminist Literary Theory and Criticism: A Norton Reader

- A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory

- Poems, Poets, Poetry: An Introduction and Anthology

- Sexual/Textual Politics: Feminist Literary Theory

- Secrets Beyond the Door: The Story of Bluebeard and His Wives

- The Function of Criticism

- Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir

- Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews

- What Ever Happened to Modernism?

- The Romantic Revolution

- National Treasure: Nicolas Cage

- Epistemology of the Closet

- Colonialism/Postcolonialism

- The Second Wave: A Reader in Feminist Theory

Rewiews:

Aug 30, 2014

Mark Bowles
Rated it: it was amazing
A. Introduction
1. This book attempts to understand feminist literary theory since 1970 (The year when Millets
Sexual Politics was published). FLC is pluralistic, there is no one defining method or belief. But,
this is a good thing because FLC draws on many theoretical positions (Marx, Foucault, Kristeva,
Derrida, Freud) and diversity fuels further debate. This ongoing debate is captured in this book by
presenting a series of dialogues between two authors.
2. The debate between Feminism and crit
A. Introduction
1. This book attempts to understand feminist literary theory since 1970 (The year when Millets
Sexual Politics was published). FLC is pluralistic, there is no one defining method or belief. But,
this is a good thing because FLC draws on many theoretical positions (Marx, Foucault, Kristeva,
Derrida, Freud) and diversity fuels further debate. This ongoing debate is captured in this book by
presenting a series of dialogues between two authors.
2. The debate between Feminism and critical theory. Some feminists see theory as a male
practice and something to avoid. To them theory is impersonal, objective and male while the study
of experience is personal, subjective and female. However, other feminists adopt Marxist, post-
structurlaist, and psychoanalytical theories because they claim that you can never be outside of
theory. It is utopian they believe to look for a experiential, non-theoretical space.
3. Woolf/Showalter/Moi. This debate between the pro and anti theorists provides a way to
understand the debate over Woolf by Showalter and Moi. Showalter takes more the anti-
theoretical stance.
4. Anglo-American feminism (Showalter)/French feminism (Moi).
a) Anglo-American criticism has concerned itself with the differences of womens writing, finding a
tradition of women authors, and exploring womens culture. Gynocriticism defines this approach.
The gynocritic explores female authors and the understanding of a female identity or experience in
their characters. The author/character/and reader unite to explore this experience. They define
women as real biological entities who are forming a politics based upon shared experience.
Feminine means a cultural tradition.
b) French theory refutes all of these points and suggests a new term, gynesis. This is the
understanding of the process by which women and the feminine are discovered and articulated.
French theorists explore women not as a person, but as a writing-effect. The criture fminine is
a woman as an effect and not an origin and asserts not the sexuality of the text but the textuality of
the sex. Gender difference is socially constructed. Feminine means a cultural stereotype by
which the patriarchy tells the woman what is natural. This approach is not particularly interested in
women authors or womens history. The author is dead, long live the text and reader.
B. Elaine Showalter, A literature of their own
1. The debate. Where Showalter detects flaws, Moi discovers qualities. What Showalter see as an
avoidance of political commitment, Moi sees as a potential for revolutionary practice. While
Showalter believes Woolfs use of multiple personae represents a refusal to stand up and be
counted, Moi sees as a way to undermine the unitary self.
2. Woolfs argument for androgyny. Woolfe argues for androgyny because a womans feelings are
too hot to handle for friends and family. The room would not liberate women from what others
would say, but would encourage them to forget their grievances. Also, a creative mind has to be
both masculine and feminine.
3. Two key criticisms. First, Showalter argues that Woolfs androgynous ideal escapist (a way of
avoiding confrontation with her family, critics, readers, and class). If you are androgynous you
cannot confront your maleness or femaleness. Second, Woolfs A room of ones own is a sign of
Woolfs retreat from the material world and psychosexual dilemmas. The room becomes both a
sanctuary and a prison. This is an impersonal and defensive book. The word one in the title
depersonalizes and desexes the subject.
C. Toril Moi, Sexual/Textual politics
1. This book was a survey of developments in feminist literary theory from Kate Millett to the
present. The book is broken into two parts: the first deal with Anglo-American criticism; the second
with French feminist theory. This represents her belief that French feminism is more theoretical
while Anglo-American feminism is better at practical criticism. This essay uses Woolf as a test
case for the success or failure of different modes of analysis. She argues that the Anglo-American
criticism, exemplified by Showalter, is inadequate compared with French readings (Derrida and
Kristeva) of Woolf. The main point of this essay is to illuminate the relationship between feminist
critical readings and the often unconscious theoretical and political assumptions that inform them.
2. Showalter on Woolf. Showalters theoretical position is never made clear in her discussions on
Woolf. She does believe that a text should reflect a writers experience and she argues that this is
where Woolf fails. The political position which follows from this is Bourgeois Realism. Realism was
the key to the value of a text. This follows Marxist critic Georg Lukacs. Showlater attacks the
multiple, pluralistic viewpoints of Woolf. But, what Showalter fails to understand is that this unified
view represents patriarchal ideology.
3. Moi rescues Woolf. It is important to rescue Woolf because of her literary genius and her
commitment to other women authors. Moi argues that a different theoretical position is what is
needed. Woolf herself practices a deconstructive form of writing in that language cannot be
pinned down to one ultimate meaning. It is these shifts in form, changes of perspective, character,
and meaning that can be understood by Derridas deconstruction. Woolfs concept of androgyny
can be seen as the third and culminating stage of Kristevas feminist political struggle.
a) Women demand equal access to the symbolic order. Liberal feminism. Equality.
b) Women reject the male symbolic order in the name of difference. Radical feminism.
c) Women reject the dichotomy between masculine and feminine. This dichotomy is a
metaphysical construction. This is Kristevas position and fits in well with Woolfs views on
androgyny.
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