Hello Readers
Introduction: Elaine Showalter(21st January, 1941), an 'American literary critic', feminist and a writer on social and cultural issues. She was one of the founders of "feminist literary criticism" in 'United states academia' developing the concept and practice of "Gynocriticism". A specialist in 'Victorian literature and the 'Fin_de_siecle'. Some of the Showalter's best works is "Toward a feminist poetics(1979), which we are going to discuss, somewhat in brief, comprising the three feminism phases; feminine(1840-80), feminist(1880-1920) and female(1920 onwards) divided in three different periods, contains also 'gynocriticism' concept in it. Which we're going to discuss, comprehensively in precision, concerning the positive side of female specifically.
Elaine Showalter concerns 'stereotypes of feminism' such as 'obsessed with phallus' and 'obsessed with destroying male writers's reputation. The writer realizes that it emerges, due to lack of 'favourable articulated theory concerning women' and as women very tendency is to escape the reality and showing off inability to fought back for their rights, they turn away from the theory due to male academics attitude : theory is their property, but don't try to make their own space by staying there and confronting them.
Gynocriticism furthers by studying "linguistics". Where it assumes that as the society or culture is constructed with 'patriarchy along with patriarchal language', where women don't have their individual "female language" to speak on, so as a result they may be feeling themselves to be inferior to men. Where the very idea of 'equality' is blurred and weightage is given to partiality towards female.
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| Logocentricism & Phallus |
For example: It is also seen in "Derrida's deconstruction's one of the points, where he emphasises on "logocentricism" and "phallus" which denotes absence of something, if experienced by opposite sex, while the same thing can be exeprienced by a man, concerning "women's godgifted womb" where she can nourish or nurture a child, and men aren't blessed with this privilege.
First Phase (1840-80) : Feminine : Imitation : Elaine Showalter says(concerning first phase of feminism) : Due to these reasons, inferiority(inability / lackness of not having something and if tried to , hasn't privilege to gain) jealousy of another identity is developed and so those women try to "equal the intellectuality of these male writers" and they were have "male pseudonym" also the probable fact was, their unrecognition for doing such things. As a result what happened there was a irregular pressure on narrative, tone, diction etc..In this manner the frustration, and detestment for male side was came out, seems to be mere imitation.
Second Phase (1880-1920) : Feminist: Protest : As religions are based on myth, and as it becomes a factual history, by the followers of any particular ideology, by practising it on and often. If we took feminist perspective here, it says the 'women are enable to reject their accommodating feminity postures'. Evidence can be seen in 'Bible scripture' where 'Eve' eats forbidden fruit, which stimulate her to ask many logical questions, but here she has dared to, while we see this aspect dychronically, perhaps women were suppressed by patriarchal structure and so their voice wasn't heard. Gradually as the time furthered they got awareness of their state and tried to sketch their ordeals of "wronged womanhood" in literature form. As it is based on protest they envisioned their forth coming future as society led by women, there will be their structure, totally absence of men(shows hatred) where women can be seen as leading an ideal society, comprising only women.
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| Greek mythology on Amazonian women |
Where daughters of Ares and Harmonia are brutal and aggressive and so they frequently indulge themselves in such battles.
Have a glimpse of myth, here..
In contrast see a work by W.H. Hudson, on 'A crystal age' where men are unable to adapt to 'matriarchal society'(utopia/dystopia society).
(To refer the story in detail, click here)
Ultimately in female phase, the dependent attitudes towards recognition are vanished and have gained 'a self discovery'. Where female experiences are utilized to generate autonomous art, extending the feminist analysis of culture to the forms and techniques of literature.
For example : "The bluest eyes" - Toni Morrison : An African-American writer, who has presented a young girl named "Pecola". Who has become inferior due to her black skin and mannerisms.
Where we can see a girl very young as ignorant of practical life, how she has to suffer, in educational as well as in her personal life.
Gayatri Charavorty Spivak has explained the same concept of 'feminism' in her video, concerning post-colonial and colonial aspect. As a result of colonialism, post-colonialism movement is happening, where the repressed are unheard, but in latter movement they are given the voices, by the reforming pioneers of this particular movement.
Female is symbolized as colonized and man as a colonizer.
In this video, an example of disaster is given, which is listened through radio by the people, they only can feel sorry for those people who have suffered, while the people solely know, through which they have passed, and how they're helpless and poor that they can't do anything without just praying to God as they don't have any option to rely on.
A study from cultural critic's side:
Where when a cultural critic will see the same aspect, with some of the 'four goals of cultural studies'. He / she will recognize that yes from "interdisciplinary approach" if we see: we are to see that whatever a woman has experienced will be analysed by different perspectives, rather than considering only one side of the story. If a person is belonging to her own family, their particular family's values and cultural norms can be seen in his / her interpretation. If the same thing is seen by the victim of this situation, will be something different, sometimes victimizing oneself, sometimes self-loathing and sometimes just dragged into someone else's thought and is ultimately ruined. If a cultural critic will look he/she will look considering all these aspects, and then probably will come at probable conclusion.
Considering the other subsequent types; political engagement and the separation of high and low. As literally the difference can be seen, a cultural critic will at first study the possible reasons for this condition of women and then try to merge this gap by discovering new model for reestablishing the healthy relationships between men and women and other earthly species.
If we take here society as a means for production, concerning woman identity, then one will literally find out that the very society is tainted then how it would be able to manufacture healthy, finely processed and newer thing. If suppose it does, nevertheless the woman will naturally indulge into such constructed things, that it would be impossible for her to come out, as she is at extreme level dragged into by hidden societal forces.
It can be analyzed, using many theories; Derrida's deconstruction(by distorting the very identity to the extremity of its roots), structuralism(how woman's identity is structured), Lucas (Psychoanalytical theory: emotional and mental state of woman, when put into such situations and many more.
Thus how "Gynocriticsim" is rooted in these aforementioned three phases, and emerges as answer to the question of 'female resistance' through establishment of an individual female language, as men were used to have, and still they have. But doesn't mean to establish equality regarding sex or gender, but striving to construct 'a female identity' so they may also have a dignified place in society and culture. All in all it is also scrutinized from four goals of cultural studies viewpoint.
Thankyou
Samiya Kagdi
A Learner at PG Center
Department Of English
MKBU
APPLIED SOURCES:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazons
https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2013/12/elaine-showalter-towards-feminist.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Crystal_Age
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