Introduction

Feminist criticism started out as an uprising against the male-dominated, conventional literary criticism
that disregarded women's literature. Traditional literary critics held the belief that women were
incapable of any abstract cognition or theorizing. The feminist critics were conscious that up until that
point, criticism had been primarily male and had focused primarily on male authors. Feminist criticism
strives to evaluate and revise ideas that were originally thought to be universal but come from specific
cultures and have unique purposes. It aims to rethink our conception of reality and human nature,
which calls into question some of literary criticism's more established preoccupations, such as accepted
canons and reading practices. Women's frustration with being treated as objects of everything gave rise
to feminism, which allows them to express themselves. Women are no longer dangerous. men are
being as dangerous or mind-controlling beings. However, women can be employed and accomplish
things just as well as males.

History

According to Simone de Beauvoir, Christine de Pizan's Epitre au Dieu d'Amour (Epistle to the God of
Love), which she penned in the fifteenth century, was "the first time we see a woman take up her pen in
defense of her sex." In the sixteenth century, Modesta di Pozzo di Forzi and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
both produced works. Francois Poullain de la Barre, Anne Bradstreet, and Marie Le Jars de Gournay all
wrote in the seventeenth century.

A political, cultural, or economic movement focused at giving women the same privileges and legal
defense might be referred to as feminism. Feminism is a movement that promotes equal opportunity for
women and works to advance their rights and interests. It also includes political, sociological, and
philosophical theories and philosophies that address issues of gender difference. Despite the fact that
the terms "feminism" and "feminist" were not become widely used until the 1970s, they were already
part of the popular lexicon much earlier. For instance, Katherine Hepburn refers to the "feminist
movement" in the 1942 movie Woman of the Year.

The history of feminism, in the opinion of Maggie Humm and Rebecca Walker, can be broken down into
three phases. The nineteenth and early twentieth century saw the beginning of the first feminist wave;
the 1960s and 1970s saw the second; and the 1990s saw the third. These feminist movements gave rise
to Feminist philosophy. It shows up in a few academic fields, including feminist history, feminist
geographical location, and feminist literary criticism.

The prevalent viewpoints in many facets of Western society, from culture to legislation, have been
influenced by feminism. Feminist activists have fought for women's legal rights (such as the right to
vote, the right to own belongings, and the right to enter into contracts); for women's right to autonomy
and physical integrity; for the right to an abortion; for the just to a healthy pregnancy; for the defense of
women and girls from sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and rape; for workplace rights (such as
maternity leave and equal pay); and against misogyny and other forms of sexism.

In the majority of its existence, Western European and North American middle-class white women have
led the majority of feminist groups and theories. But since Sojourner Truth's 1851 address to American
feminists, women of other races have put forward different feminisms. The Civil Rights movement in the
US and the end of European colonialism in the African continent, the Caribbean, some of Latin America,
and Southeast Asia also contributed to the acceleration of this movement in the 1960s. Since then,
"Post-colonial" and "Third World" feminisms have been presented by women in the Third World and
former European colonies. The ethnocentrism of Western feminism is criticized by certain Postcolonial
Feminists, like Chandra Talpade Mohanty. Angela Davis and Alice Walker, two prominent black
feminists, hold this opinion.

Waves of feminism

Since the mid-19th century, organized women's activist developments within the Joined together States
have called for more prominent political, financial and social opportunity and balance for ladies.
However not all of these developments have sought after the same particular goals, taken the same
approaches to activism or included the same bunches of ladies in their energizing cry. Since of these
generational contrasts, it’s common to listen woman's rights partitioned into four particular waves, each
generally comparing to a diverse time period.

First wave of feminism

This notion of the "feminist wave" first emerged in the late 1960s to distinguish the then-
nascent women's struggle from the early women's rights movement that emerged at the 1848
Seneca Falls convention. At the same time, the concept of a "second wave" associated the
movement with early women activists in the long and valuable effort for women's rights.
Furthermore, Black feminists like Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells were largely ignored or
marginalised by the women's suffrage movement. Although ratification of the 19th Amendment
in 1920 achieved the primary objective of the first wave of feminism—guaranteeing white
women the right to vote—Black women and other women of colour continued to confront
challenges until the implementation of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Seond wave of feminism
Betty Friedan claimed in her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique that women were dissatisfied
with the restrictions their roles as wives and mothers placed on them. The book, which sold 3
million copies in three years, was a major success and contributed to the second wave of
feminism. Second-wave feminists, who drew their inspiration from the civil rights movement
and anti-Vietnam War protests, called for a reexamination of socially dictated gender standards
and the elimination of sexism.
As Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, and Betty Friedan established the National Women's Political
Caucus in 1971, feminism—or "women's liberation"—became more powerful as a political force
in the 1970s. The Equal Pay Act and the historic Supreme Court rulings in Griswold v.
Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) concerning freedom of reproduction were among
the high points of the second wave. The Equal Rights Amendment was ratified by Congress in
1972, but despite this, a conservative backlash prevented it from receiving the required number
of state ratifications.
Second-wave feminism, like the fight for suffrage, came under fire for emphasising affluent
white women, and some Black women started their own feminist groups, such as the National
Black Feminist Organisation (NBFO). Despite its successes, the cause of women's liberation had
started to wane by 1980, the year Ronald Reagan was elected president by conservative forces
Third wave
The movement that formed in the early 1990s concentrated on addressing issues that
remained, such as sexual harassment in the workplace and a dearth of women in positions of
power, despite the fact that second-wave feminism's achievements had clearly increased
women's equality and rights. While seeing Anita Hill speak before the Senate Judiciary
Committee about her allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court candidate
Clarence Thomas, Rebecca Walker, the mixed-race daughter of second-wave pioneer Alice
Walker, declared the advent of feminism's "third wave" in 1992. There were a record-breaking
amount of women elected to Congress in that same year, which was dubbed the "Year of the
Woman."
Third wave feminism also aimed to be more racial and gender inclusive. In this field, Kimberlé
Crenshaw's work on the idea of "intersectionality," or how many forms of oppression (based on
race, class, gender, etc.) can overlap, has had a significant impact. The work of gender theorist
Judith Butler was also a source of inspiration for third-wave feminists, who supported trans
rights through intersectional feminism.
Fourth wave of feminism
Though some contend that fourth wave feminism is simply a continuation of the third wave, there is no
doubt that the development of the Internet has given rise to a new type of social media-driven activism.
The #MeToo campaign, which Tarana Burke started in 2007, really took off in 2017 after it was made
public that influential film producer Harvey Weinstein had engaged in sexual misconduct.

Fourth-wave feminists are focusing on the institutions that allow such assault to happen in addition to
holding prominent men responsible for their crimes. They continue to struggle with the idea of
internationalist and how the movement may be inclusive and representative regardless of sexuality,
colour, class, and gender, just like their forebears in the feminist fight.

Key concepts of feminism criticism

Sex, gender, racism, discrimination, equality, difference, and choice are at the heart of feminist thought.
Systems and mechanisms already in existence work against people based on these characteristics as well
as against equality and equity. The conviction that truths can be discovered by exploring these present
circumstances in the current social order is a necessity for research in critical paradigms. But more
importantly, this investigation can raise awareness of repressive organizations while also fostering
platforms for many voices to speak up for themselves (Egbert & Sanden, 2019).
Key works

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir (1949)

Sexual Politics by Kate Millett (1970)

Against Our Will: Men. Women and Rape by Susan Brwnmiller (1975)

Isn't I am Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks (1981)

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (2014)

A room of ones own by verginia Wolf

Background of feminism in western countries.

Women were restricted to domestic life for the most of Western history, while males were expected to
participate in the public arena. Women were prohibited from owning property, going to school, and
taking part in public life in mediaeval Europe. In France at the turn of the 20th century, they were still
required to cover their heads in public, and in some regions of Germany, a husband could still legally sell
his wife. In Europe and the United States (where multiple territories and counties gave women's
suffrage long before the federal government did so), women were still prohibited from voting and from
holding electoral office as late as the early 20th century. Women were not allowed to conduct business
without a male representative, whether it was their father, brother husband and sun. Married women
were forbidden to manage their own children without their husbands' consent. Women were also
denied entrance to schooling and excluded from most occupations. Such limitations on women still exist
in various regions of the world.

Analysis of Feminism criticism

Women's oppression of males should be exposed via analysis in the study of feminism. Whenever there
is a feminist problem, it invariably relates to equality and gender equality. However, it raises concerns
among feminists. In modern theory, attention is instead given to gender analysis rather than women's
experiences. How gender affects social interactions amongst people. If we look attentively, we may
discover that most males have positions in international politics and international affairs. International
political tendencies and decision-making are not heavily influenced by women. The fundamental
presumptions given by feminists are as follows:

1. Feminists do not believe that human nature is constant.

2. From a feminist viewpoint, we are unable to distinguish clearly between "facts" and "values."

3. Knowledge and power are closely related, as are our "theories" about the universe and our habits—
the ways in which we interact with our immediate physical and social environments.

4. Postmodern feminists themselves (postmodernists deny the idea of universality), feminists share a
dedication to the advancement of society and the liberation or emancipation of women.

The linkage of national security or the protection of national interest nowadays is almost often
associated with the function of males. Only performing domestic tasks, such as being a good mother, a
faithful wife, a teacher, a nurse, or a social worker, are considered to be "givers of security." Thus, a very
firm and ingrained perception that male traits like power, strength, independence, freedom, and reason
were associated with international politics arose

Male dominance of women has altered literary circumstances, including:

(1) literary ideals and norms are frequently crucial for males, bordering women are always in a
position to continually battle for gender equality,

(2) (2) male writers Men are also biased, and women are great and exciting objects. Men always
use items at first glimpse by women. Women are characters who become literary blossoms, or so-called
males, rape, and the like that appear to cornen women in a weak position (helpless).

Sholwater also emphasized that it is crucial to investigate deeper in the analysis of literary feminism: (1)
the basic distinctions between the language of male and female writers, the differences being impacted
by various cultural circumstances. Do women employ more beautiful language that makes sense, has
mystical force, is old-fashioned, and so on? On the contrary, maybe males are more inclined to exposing
negative aspects, and (2) how far the cultural impact that clings to men and women in terms of
creativity. Do males desire to perpetuate a culture of hegemony over women, while women, on the
other hand, are just resigned, is a very crucial picture in the understanding of feminism. There are
various misunderstandings about Feminism Theory.

Misconceptions about feminism

Gender equality, usually referred to as feminism, has just become one of the 17 sustainable growth
objective established by the United Nations General Assembly with the goal of being reached by 2030.
While some long-term goals, such as solving world hunger, are widely accepted, feminism maintains
contentious, particularly in the MENA area. Much of the debate over feminism originates from
erroneous assumptions, some of which have accompanied feminism from its inception, while others are
particularly specific to the MENA area and its traditional mentality. This post will address some common
misunderstandings regarding feminism and feminists.

1 Feminism is a westernized concept : Recently, a show called "18" (which literally translates to
18+) that broadcaster on national Lebanese television, stated that feminism is a westernized idea. I'd
heard that before, but I didn't anticipate a female host to nonchalantly make such a remark on
television. The precise moment when feminism first arrived in the Arab World is unknown; however,
new research believe that it initially appeared during the 1800s in Egypt alongside British colonization,
which explains how the assumption that feminism was originated from western culture 

Given that patriarchy governs the majority of the world, feminism is a notion that applies to all
countries. As a result, it is not an assumption that globalization paved the way for the Arab world.

2 Only women can be feminists: This is a pretty common misunderstanding. Many guys I've
encountered associate the term "feminism" with "femininity" and believe it is a woman's problem with
which they do not want to be associated. Because they do not want to be connected with femininity,
some males say that the name "feminism" should be altered to a more gender-neutral phrase. That is, of
course, their toxic masculinity speaking, because feminism began as a movement to achieve gender
equality by opposing patriarchal mindsets and environments that mistreat and subjugate women, and if
they are sensitive to the phrase, they have greater issues to deal with.
3 Feminists want to grow beards.This one came up in one of my seminars when a feminist student
mentioned that body hair on women is normal. Again, feminism is about autonomy. Women should be
allowed to have forearm and leg hair without being labeled as nasty or unclean, just as males are
allowed to have them. So, no, we don't want beards; we just want to keep our body hair only. It grows
at that location for a purpose.
4 Feminism is a fight for power and forming the matriarchy:

Feminism advocates for gender equality. It tries to balance the power dynamics between genders. There
is no matriarchy in the discourse of feminism. It is not about taking away power from anyone. It is about
restoring power to the “subordinated” gender that is considered inferior and less of a human. Women
lack a lot of basic human rights that allow them to have autonomy over their bodies and lives. Giving
them their human rights does not equate to taking away rights from men.

 5 Feminism is about hating men.

No. That would be misaddress. Feminism simply calls for equality of genders, and since men are mostly
the ones who oppose this initiative thinking it is aimed against them. But hating men does not stem
from the concept of feminism, it is merely a reaction to the opposition of some men to the fights of
feminists.
Feminists want to pay for everything.

As of late, an awfully prevalent Lebanese vocalist, Carol Samaha, recommended that woman's rights
implies that the lady needs to pay for everything. Beyond any doubt, the money related autonomy of
ladies can be considered portion of the women's activist fight considering ladies were legitimately the
property of men and may not claim anything for a long period of time in history, so it isn't that
enormous of a bargain that these ladies need to be independent. The issue is diminishing women's
liberation to money related freedom. In spite of the fact that women's activists need that kind of
autonomy, a lot of us recognize the sex pay gap and know that men can bear a lot more than able to. So,
no women's activists don't need to pay for everything.

Presently that these misguided judgments have been clarified. It is sensible to rethink a defective point

of view of woman's rights. Dismissing a concept since we basically select to undefine it says
more almost us than almost the concept itself.

What Is the Patriarchy?

The concept of patriarchy has been central to numerous women's activist speculations. It is an endeavor

to clarify  the stratification of control  and  benefit  by  gender that can
be watched by numerous objective measures.The term comes from pater or father. Father or father-
figures hold the authority in a patriarchy.

A patriarchy, from the old Greek patriarchs, was a society where control was held by and passed down
through the elder males. When advanced history specialists and sociologists depict a "patriarchal
society," they cruel that men hold the positions of control and have more benefit: head of the family
unit, pioneers of social bunches, boss within the working environment, and heads of government.

Some quotes about feminism and patriarchy

"Visionary feminism is a wise and loving politics," says bell hooks. It is founded on a love for both male
and female beings, refusing to favour one over the other. The dedication to eliminate patriarchal control
of women and men, girls and boys, is at the heart of feminist politics. Any relationship built on
dominance and compulsion cannot support love. Males in patriarchal culture cannot love themselves if
their whole self-definition is based on conformity to patriarchal standards. Men's emotional well-being
will improve if they accept feminist thought and practise, which emphasizes the need of reciprocal
growth and self-actualization in all partnerships. A true feminist politics constantly leads us from slavery
to liberty, from hatred to love."

"Civilized Man says: I am Self, I am Master, all the rest is other--outside, below, beneath, subservient,"
Ursula Le Guin writes. I own, utilize, investigate, exploit, and command. What I do is important. What
matters  what I desire. "I am what I am, and the rest is women and wilderness for me to use as I see fit."

"There is nothing revolutionary about men controlling women's bodies," Adrienne Rich writes in Of
Woman Born. The ground on which patriarchy is built is the woman's body."

"Representation of the world, like the world itself, is a work of men; they represent it from their own
point of opinion, which they bewilder with perfect truth."

"Her wings are cut, and she is then accused for having no idea how to fly."

"The truth is that, just as males and females are never victims of one another, but both victims of the
species, so man and wife are oppressed by an institution they did not create." If it is claimed that men
oppress women, the husband is outraged; he believes that he is the oppressor - and he is; but the fact is
that it is the masculine code, the society developed by males and in their interest, that has established
woman's situation in a form that is now a source of torment for both sexes."

"It is perfectly natural for the future woman to be irritated by the limitations imposed by her gender."
The fundamental dilemma is not why she should reject them; rather, the issue is why she accepts them."

“That the child is the supreme aim of woman is a statement having precisely the value of an advertising
slogan.”

“If the feminine issue is so absurd, is because the male’s arrogance made it “a discussion

Criticism of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Feminists

.Numerous films (most famously the 1951 animated Disney picture), musicals, parodies, and even books
of comics have been based on the tale of an infant girl who follows a rabbit into an unfamiliar realm.
Although its bizarre characters and surprising narrative keep captivating audiences, it may be the absurd
things that Carroll and his characters say that make the play so classic.

Lewis Carroll's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is set in Victorian England. In the Victorian era,
women were subject to the rules of a traditional and conservative community and were required to
conform to predefined sex stereotypes. Following these guidelines was intended as a strategy to stifle a
feminist rebellion. In this story, a young girl named Alice, who is seven years old, continually defies these
gender expectations by inventing the fantastical setting known as Wonderland. The weight of being a
woman has been lifted, allowing her to live a life of freedom and creativity in this world. This enables
woman to be independent and make independent choices while being influenced by the views of other
men.A woman's existence without societal constraints is depicted in a novel written by Lewis Carroll.
Carroll constantly makes fun of and diminishes the qualities of a woman, as may be seen by reading this
book through a feminist lens.

F1 In the opening chapter of the book, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and enters Wonderland, getting her
first glimpse of the new world she has created. She is eager to embark on an adventure in order to
become independent, but she has no idea what is waiting for her on the other side. She bids adieu to
the expectations that society has set on women by falling down the rabbit hole. Alice sets off on a quest
that few women would feel secure taking. This serves as an illustration of how women may be strong
leaders while resisting being devalued by socially imposed gender stereotypes. Attending this trip by
yourself illustrates the fact that every woman has the capacity to be independent even when there isn't
a man around. This helps Alice to keep her newly gained autonomy and make the required choices on
her own.

The struggle of the kid to live in the perplexing world of grownups is shown in Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland. Alice must go past the childlike openness that is necessary for understanding our mature
reality.

It seems that regulations are necessary for grownups to follow. Today, however, the majority of
individuals follow these laws mindlessly and without considering the "why." As a result, Alice in
Wonderland encounters unpredictable and occasionally random behavior.

Thetre are many many writers who who wrote numerous books about feminism, following are ones of
them describing about women’s value in the society

A Room of Ones Own by Virginia Wolf

Although it is non-fiction, Woolf's essay exhibits the same imaginative ability as her fiction. Her use of
the Mary Beton persona, the word "But" to start her essay in the middle of it, and her inventive weaving
of anecdote and narrative into her "argument" all, in a way, embody the two-sided or "androgynous"
approach to writing that, according to Woolf, all authors should aim for.

A Room of One's Own is a book that combines logical, linear reasoning with meandering narration, is
both gravely serious and whimsically humorous, and is both radically controversial and, in some ways,
quietly conservative.

Woolf pays careful consideration to both the material and social restrictions on women's lives
everywhere. This is why her thesis is centred on the sentence that gives her essay its title: "A woman
must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

Because the financial policies for women were geared towards preparing them for marriage and
motherhood rather than educating them to become family breadwinners, Judith Shakespeare, William
Shakespeare's supposed sister, would never have achieved literary greatness. Marriage was viewed as
the most significant financial and material event in their lives because it was only by becoming a man's
wife that a woman could achieve financial security.

Such a woman would typically not have "a room of her own" (because the spaces where she would
spend her time, such as the kitchen, bedroom, and nursery, were designed for domestic activities) or
funds (because the wife's wealth and property would, legally, relate to her husband), preferably until
the end of the nineteenth century, when the Married Women's Property Act entered English law.

Woolf's advice that authors try to be 'androgynous' in particular has drawn criticism from later feminist
critics because it undermines the concept that 'women's writing' and 'women's experience' are different
and independent from men's. If women are actually considered as lesser subjects in a patriarchal
society, surely their knowledge of that culture differs considerably from men's, and they require what
Elaine Showalter referred to as "a literature of their own," as well as a chamber of their own?

We should all be feminists

A feminist works to develop and achieve gender equality in society, business, politics, and daily life. The
word "feminism" has a lot of baggage and is frequently discussed and criticized by both men and
women. Instead of being a natural and sensible concept that everyone should strive for, feminism has
given rise to a number of social movements, political protests, and divisive debates. Chimmanda's
enlarged essay, We Should All Be Feminist, which was made into a book, is a quick yet thought-
provoking read that elaborates on the ideas she covered in her TED talk of the same name. You should
read this book for an hour every day for the following reasons.

‘’We tell females, "You can have desire, but not too much." You should strive for success, but not too
much success, or you may endanger the guy. Pretend you are not the breadwinner in your relationship
with a man’’.

How depressing that we do such a disservice to women's liberty by conditioning girls to conform to
the fragile egos of men. From childhood, women are taught that nothing is worse than the emasculation
of males who are raised to be scared of fear, weakness, or vulnerability – their "toughness" directly
boosting their fragile egos. As a result, women are trained to mute themselves, to constantly keep their
mouths shut about how they genuinely feel — as Chimamanda says, this has allowed women to "turn
pretence into an art form."

It is past time for us to see the mistake of making women feel as though they are already guilty of
something just because they are female. Chimamanda asserts:

Gender is problematic because it dictates how we should be rather than recognising how we are.
Consider how much happier we would be, how much more free to be our actual unique selves if we
weren't burdened by gender norms.

This lengthy article is important not because I want you all to become feminists, but because
achieving gender equality in social, political, and economic terms is fundamental to cultural growth and
world evolution. Women's exclusion and under-representation in many aspects of our life is detrimental
to our cultural, economic, political, and social well-being.

Because they believe their knowledge and skill to be superior, men  explain things to women.

Writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit is the author of eighteen or so books on feminism, western
and indigenous history, popular power, social change and insurrection, wandering and walking, hope
and disaster
Following are main ideas are taken from the which are mostly in the favour of women's freedom and
rights in the society

Have you ever found yourself paying attention when a man tried to explain something to you?
Obviously, if you're a woman, you have.

Men frequently feel the need to instruct women in a patronizing or demeaning manner because they
believe (perhaps unintentionally) that they are more bright or informed than they are. This is often
referred to as "mansplaining," a mix of "man" and "explaining."

Men frequently feel the need to lecture or treat women patronizingly because they believe—perhaps
unconsciously—that they are more bright or informed than they are. Mansplaining—a combination of
the words "man" and "explaining"—is another name for this.

Men's racism and hubris towards women's intelligence, dependability, and competence lead to
mansplaining.

Other regions of the world see more dramatic symptoms of this phenomena. A woman's statement of
being raped may not be taken seriously in several Middle Eastern nations unless another male was
present to witness it. The word of a woman is not as trusted as the word of a man.

These authentic words are manifesting that men are dominating over the women, not only it is tradition
of western society but also in some cases in eastern countries. Rebecca Solni was a feminist, she wrote
this book against patriarchal society that how women are treated as like a servant in men’s home even
children are too being kept by women In order to be a perfect one.

The second sex by Simon DE Beauvoir

The second sex This fundamental concept comes from Simon de Beauvoir's classic essay The Second Sex,
which was released in French in 1949. The term "female" or "woman" has been replaced. She pointed
out that women constantly characterize themselves as "I am a woman," but males never do and instead
place themselves as the representation of human beings, indicating that "men" and "women" are not
equal concepts. She noted that attorneys, clergymen, philosophers, authors, and scientists continued
attempting to demonstrate that female attachment states were established by fate and contributed to
humanity's well-being—"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman." In other words, due of
women's inferiority, gender equality will always remain an illusion.

Concerning the issue of gender differences, as Beauvoir once stated, "woman is just a uterus." That is to
say, the fate of the female was chosen by this anatomy, and when confronted with this Nature Order, all
efforts to dispute the female's unfair treatment of gender discrimination vanish. Furthermore, when it
comes to speech, female discourse has been essentially stifled by male's governing language. If Michel
Foucault's so-called "truth" (Subjectivité et Vérité, 1980-1981) is accepted, there is reason to suppose
men's control authority is a trap to encourage women to fall into men's "truth." As a result, female
authors should reject men's dominance over language while quietly retreating into a harbour for female
speech.