Through the years, the depiction of women and men have always been different. The womanly form is designed to flatter men, who are assumed to be the ‘ideal spectators’. Not only are the relationships between men and women poor, so are the relationships of women with themselves. The woman turns herself into an object; the surveyor in her becomes male. Tired of being interpreted as subjects by both genders, women artists revolted during the feminist movement with art that reflected women’s lives and experiences.
In early modern England, notions about female gender roles tended to be constructed by two forms of discourse: the theological and the medical. Theological sermons and pamphlets emphasized the biblical injunctions that women should be silent and obedient and that they were subject to the authority of their husbands. Callaghan (1989, 9) argues that Renaissance society was ‘profoundly hierarchical ' and that the chain of authority extended from God, via the monarch, to men and women who were expected to conduct their household relationships inconformity with the idea that women were subject the authority of their fathers and husbands. Belsey (1985, 9) emphasizes thatmen and women are not symmetrically defined. Man, the centerand hero of liberal humanism, was produced in contradistinction to the objects of his knowledge, and in terms of the relations of power in the economy and the state.
Gender identity is a controversial concept that has been discussed in terms of several perceptions such as psychological, social and political point of views. In consequence, it acquires different definitions and interpretations. However, in feminist works, using the feminist approach seems to be imperative because of its validity in analyzing the psychology of female heroines, as well as the psychology of female writers. This thesis attempts to clarify gender identity thought reading three postmodern gothic novels written by Angela Carter –a British contemporary writer. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to read the concept of gender identity in the terms of postmodern principles; it argues that Angela Carter in her postmodern gothic novels The
Abstract:Women have been facing gender inequality since the inception of civilisation. The society has always been patriarchal propagating ideologies that is conducive to the making of the feminine, a suppressed and subordinate creature to men,reducing women to the marginalised status in all walks of life. In this paper the author has tried to present how the subjugation of women leads their down trodden and fallen state and how the sufferings and suppressions eventually give way to their new awakened conscious and inner strength leading to the emergence of a new awakened woman who confronts with the patriarchal society and refuges to be a mere follower of the roles assigned to her by the society but indeed discovers her own identity, asserts
During the nineteenth century the influence of feminist movement has made profound impact on the status of the woman. Eventually women have begun stepping out of the traditional boundaries. This new phase of society considers woman the director and moulder of the society. Women have realised that their foremost duty is not merely to please and obey men, but also to lead a life of dignity and equality. The patriarchal fabric of the society has started thinning out.
Feminist is ‘a political position’, the female is ‘a matter of biology’ and feminine is ‘a set of culturally defined characteristics’. The representation of women in literature is one of the most important forms of ‘socialization’ and it provided the role models which indicated to women and men to constitute an acceptable version of the ‘feminine’. (122) There are three waves of feminism: the first wave was in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the second was in the 1960s and 1970s and the third from the 1970s to the present. The first wave refers mainly to “women’s suffrage” movements (mainly concerned with women’s right to vote). The second wave refers to the ideas and actions associated with the “women’s liberation movement”.
Introduction Hook: Since the beginning of time, the existence of women and men has been undeniably considered as one of the integral factors that forms our society as it is today. Despite their parallel existence and contribution to the growth of the society, it was considered that women were not treated equal to men both in domestic and working circumstances, leading to a wave of movements demanding equal rights for women, known as feminism. Despite its success in claiming benefits for mistreated women in the past, recent feminism actions and point of views have gone above their original purpose, and created negative impacts and false mindset as its consequences, 2. Credibility I have done some in-depth research about this matter to prepare for the speech, and I myself do not stand for contemporary feminist. 3.
Literature has always been a handy tool in exploring the gender relations and several differences. Humanist feminist criticism objects to the exclusion of women from these definitions because they tend towards an inaccurate account of the subjectivity of women rather than a historically reconstructed ideology. Today re-reading of literature assumes an important aspect of any critical project for it would help in the reconstitution of the idea of female subjectivity. Thus a more meaningful subject for literary writings focuses on the idea of psychic fragmentation of the weaker sex rather than on the theme of social oppression which assumes a secondary position. Psychotic rupture is perhaps the worst and most regressive aspect of female subjectivity.
EARLY MODERN EUROPE' NOTION ABOUT WOMEN In order to understand the position of women in Early Modern Europe, firstly we need to understand the society of this period. The society took place in Early Modern Europe was the patriarchy. How was the patriarchy? Patriarchy can be defined as a system which putting women in vassal position so as to put across the hierarchy and authority of men in an unquestioned way. The ideology which creates these kinds of policies largely based on how the family should be managed more precisely on how the father should manage it and how women should be, in the sixteenth century.
Feminism is linked to a historical time, in which women fought for the equality of women against men. Although feminism is linked to that time frame, many writers, and authors use the word differently. There are many variations for the word feminism because of the different topics that the word has expanded into. A feminist role in society is to actively recognize the need for, and work towards creating equality for all women. Feminism is purely a movement which intends to enlighten people with a goal of improving gender equality and strengthening women 's status in society.