THE

FEMINISM,
FEMINIST
CRITICISM, &
FEMINIST
APPROACH
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
October 18,2022 GROUP 4
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
WHAT IS FEMINISM?
FEMINISM

Feminism is an interdisciplinary approach to concerns of equality and

equity based on gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex, and
sexuality as understood via social theories and political activism.

In Literature:

Feminist literature is fiction or nonfiction which supports the feminist

goals of defining, establishing, and defending equal political,
economic, and social rights for women.

FEMINISM
ABOUT FEMINIST
They advocate for women's rights and gender equality. However, feminist theories
are not restricted to women's issues, but also promote power-sharing, leadership,
and collaborative work in order to establish respect and acceptance for diversity
amongst all members of the society.
Feminist political activists campaign in areas such as reproductive rights, domestic
violence, fairness, social justice, and workplace issues such as family medical
leave, equal pay, and sexual harassment and discrimination.
Anytime stereotyping, objectification, infringements of human rights, or
intersectional oppression occurs, it's a feminist issue.

FEMINIST
 THE

FEMINIST
CRITICISM
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
October 18, 2022 GROUP 4
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
WHAT IS FEMINIST CRITICISM?
Feminist Criticism

It is the literary analysis that arises from the perspective of feminist or

feminist theory. It mainly involves idealizes from feminism or feminist
theories.

Example 1:

The movie Mulan challenges some traditional gender stereotypes

because it portrays a female protagonist resisting the sexist provisions
of her society and succeeding in a traditionally male area. However, it
also perpetuates some gender stereotypes because it shows Mulan
marrying Shang in the end of the movie, showing that Mulan is still
just another woman looking for a man.

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WHAT IS FEMINIST CRITICISM?
Example 2:
Feminist Criticism on Cinderella
Cinderella, just like the other fairy tales, features a damsel in distress longing
forsomeone to love her. Just like other fairy tales, it ends in a happily ever after scene
withthe protagonist, Cinderella, ending up as a lucky maiden who married and prince
and willone day become a queen. In her journey, there of course was the antagonist, the
stepmother, who gave us the generic notion that stepmothers can be equated to witches.

In a feminist perspective, the story of Cinderella gave the impression that women are
always in need. And because of this need, there are negative traits that rises. Just like
the step mother in the story, her need for security and wealth made her evil. It is
somewhat degrading to women because it gives the impression that women are weak.
Though in the course of the story, Cinderella was still able to redeem herself by being
brave enough to face her step mother and taking the risk of getting caught during the
ball.It also emphasizes that men rules above women as they can easily choose who to
marry and that the decisions of a nation or a household depends upon them

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FEMINIST CRITICISM
Questions to Consider
Feminist Lens:
- Is the author male or female?
- Is the text narrated by a male or female?
- What types of roles do women have in the text?
- Are the female characters the protagonists or secondary and minor characters?
- Do any stereotypical characterizations of women appear? - What are the attitudes
toward women held by the male characters?
- What is the author’s attitude toward women in society?
- How does the author’s culture influence his/her attitude?
- Is feminine imagery used? If so, what is the significance of such imagery?
- Do the female characters speak differently that the male characters?
In your investigation, compare the frequency of speech for the male character to the
frequency of speech for the female characters

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 THE

FEMINIST
APPROACH
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
October 18, 2022 GROUP 4
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSESe
WHAT IS FEMINIST
APPROACH?
The feminist approach requires supporting the voice, agency and
empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity and others who
face discrimination or marginalization.

Feminist theory helps us better understand and address unequal and

oppressive gender relations.

Example:

Expanding human choice: Feminists believe that both men and women
should have the freedom to develop their human interests and talents,
even if those interests and talents conflict with the status quo. For
example, if a woman wants to be a mechanic, she should have the right
and opportunity to do so.

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ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND

October 18, 2022 GROUP 4
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES