A brief Discussion on Showalter's essay "Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness" | Subhadip Barman UGB

Summary

In this video, Sudhi Bharman, a student of English Literature, explores Ellen Schwalter's essay *'Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness'*, discussing key concepts of feminist literary theory. Schwalter, a founder of feminist literary criticism, emphasizes the importance of gynocriticism, focusing on women's writing as an independent and intellectually coherent field. She presents various models of criticism, including biological, linguistic, psychoanalytic, and cultural perspectives, addressing the gendered nature of literature. Schwalter also introduces the idea of the 'wild zone,' representing women's unique cultural space. The essay advocates for a feminist literary tradition that exists alongside but independently from the male tradition.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ellen Schwalter is a key figure in feminist literary criticism and is known for her contributions to feminist literary theory and criticism.
• 😀 Schwalter's essay 'Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness' is a crucial text in the field, and it was written at a time when women's studies were becoming established in American universities.
• 😀 The essay is divided into six parts, with the first discussing pluralism in feminist literary criticism and identifying two main poles: feminist as reader and feminist critique.
• 😀 Schwalter introduced the concept of gynocriticism, which focuses on literature by women and critiques misogyny in male-written texts, emphasizing a woman-centered approach to literary criticism.
• 😀 The essay identifies two obstacles in feminist literary criticism: pluralism (the diversity of feminist theories) and the reluctance to create unified methodologies for feminist criticism.
• 😀 Schwalter presents four models of difference in feminist criticism: biological, linguistic, psychoanalytic, and cultural, each offering unique perspectives on women's writing and texts.
• 😀 The biological model examines the impact of gender differences on writing, rejecting the idea that women's creativity is inferior to men's, and celebrating women's experiences as sources of literary energy.
• 😀 The linguistic model focuses on the androcentric nature of language and how male-dominated language structures silence women, emphasizing the need for women to have full access to language.
• 😀 The psychoanalytic model explores how a female author's psyche and creative process are shaped by gender, critiquing Freudian and Lacanian theories that position women as inferior or passive.
• 😀 Schwalter's cultural model argues that women's bodies, language, and psyche are shaped by their social environment, and she stresses the importance of studying women's culture to understand their writing.
• 😀 Schwalter also introduces the concept of the 'wild zone,' which represents an inaccessible space of women's culture that is outside the male-dominated world, offering a new, feminist approach to criticism that focuses on women's experiences.

Q & A

Who is Ellen Schwalter, and what is her contribution to feminist literary criticism?

Ellen Schwalter is a renowned American literary critic and one of the founders of feminist literary theory. She has written extensively on Victorian women writers and contributed to the development of feminist criticism. She is known for introducing the concept of gynocriticism, focusing on women's literature and establishing feminist literary criticism as a distinct field.

What is the main focus of Schwalter's essay 'Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness'?

Schwalter's essay focuses on the development of feminist literary criticism and the challenges it faces. She explores different models of feminist criticism, such as biological, linguistic, psychoanalytic, and cultural, and advocates for a new approach to studying women's writing, independent from male-dominated literary traditions.

What are the three phases of women's writing according to Schwalter?

Schwalter identifies three phases of women's writing: the feminine phase (1840-1880s), where women writers imitated male authors; the feminist phase (1880s-1920s), where women advocated for minority rights and expressed their own feelings and sufferings; and the female phase (1920-1960), which focused on women's texts rather than merely uncovering misogyny in men's texts.

What is pluralism in feminist literary criticism, and how does Schwalter address it?

Pluralism refers to the idea that there is no single feminism but rather many different feminist perspectives, such as Marxist feminist criticism or black and third-world feminism. Schwalter highlights this as a challenge to developing a unified methodology for feminist literary criticism, as different cultural histories and critical approaches must be considered.

What obstacles does Schwalter identify in developing a unified feminist literary criticism?

Schwalter identifies two main obstacles: pluralism in feminist criticism, which leads to various interpretations and approaches, and the reluctance of many feminists to respond to the demand for a unified methodology, which complicates the development of a cohesive feminist literary theory.

How does Schwalter's biological model of feminist criticism differ from traditional views on gender?

The biological model in feminist criticism challenges the traditional view that women are inherently inferior to men in terms of creativity and intelligence, a belief rooted in Victorian-era medical and anthropological theories. Schwalter argues that women's biology, such as pregnancy and menstruation, should not be seen as limiting their creativity but rather celebrated as part of their unique experience in writing.

What is the linguistic model in feminist criticism, and how does Schwalter critique language?

The linguistic model examines how language is gendered and dominated by male norms. Schwalter argues that language has been created by men, often excluding or marginalizing women's voices. Feminist criticism seeks to understand how language traps women in a system where their words are less believed and their agency in defining meaning is limited.

What does Schwalter say about the psychoanalytic model of feminist criticism?

Schwalter critiques the psychoanalytic model, particularly Freud's theory of sexuality, which portrays women as inferior due to their lack of a penis. She rejects this view and advocates for a more inclusive psychoanalytic framework that acknowledges the unique female experience and its role in shaping women's writing.

What is the cultural model in feminist criticism, and why does Schwalter prefer it?

The cultural model examines how women's bodies, language, and psyches are shaped by the social and cultural contexts in which they live. Schwalter prefers this model because it takes into account the relationship between gender and culture, highlighting how women's experiences and expressions differ across cultural backgrounds and social environments.

What does Schwalter mean by the 'wild zone' in women's culture?

The 'wild zone' refers to aspects of women's culture that are outside the mainstream male-dominated societal structures. It represents the parts of female experience that are inaccessible or incomprehensible to men, as they have not been adequately represented or understood within the dominant discourse. Schwalter emphasizes that feminist criticism must explore this 'wild zone' to give voice to women's experiences and expressions.