Feminist Criticism By Lois Tyson - 2072 Words

It is difficult to imagine living in a world without the patriarchal roles that are present in society and have been throughout history. In the article â€Å"Feminist Criticism,† by Lois Tyson, the idea of feminism and how society has affected feminism is the focus. These ideas are seen because men have more of a voice in nearly everything and the oppression of women is very common; a society set up like this can be described with the term patriarchy which is â€Å"any culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles,† where men are cast as â€Å"rational, strong, protective, and decisive,† and women are cast â€Å"as emotional, weak, nurturing, and submissive† (Tyson, 1). This thought that men are strong and women weak is not uncommon in†¦show more content†¦Daisy Miller is breaking these social norms by constantly associating with different men, drawing the attention of many others and Connie expresses her sexuality by abandonin g her friends to spend time with a boy in his car; this ultimately leads to society’s metaphorical murder of these women. Daisy is an American teen who is traveling Europe and spends lots of time with men in an 1800s European society that frowns upon these actions and ultimately punishes her for them. Winterbourne is a man who is infatuated with Daisy due to her beauty and although he knows it isn’t proper to interact with Daisy without a chaperone present, he talks to her anyways and â€Å"was ceasing to be embarrassed, for he had begun to perceive that she was not in the least embarrassed herself. There had not been the slightest alteration in her charming complexion; she was evidently neither offended neither fluttered† (James, 6). The first time that Winterbourne has a conversation with Daisy he had expected it to be under the supervision of another person. Because Daisy is not used to having to do this she isn’t phased and continues the conversation with Winterbourne. This doesn’t make Winterbourne mad, but instead makes him more attracted to Daisy. As he talks to Daisy he doesn’t have to think of any problems it could cause for himShow MoreRelated`` The Yellow Wallpaper `` And Feminist Criticism1235 Words   |  5 Pagesto patriarchy and gender roles, and the underlying concept of women being inferior due to these maladies, is not a foreign or new concept. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, â€Å"A Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, and â€Å"Feminist Criticism† by Lois Tyson all discuss the inferiority of women as a result of patriarchy and gender roles, and how women can break the patriarchy to discover their own truths. Society’s patriarchal views and gender roles construct the idea that women’s role inRead MoreFeminist Criticism In August Wilsons Fences732 Words   |  3 Pagesacted in a rather arrogant manner, which contributed to the strong sense of patriarchy that was present in the Maxson household at times. Contrary to this, Wilson included scenes in which Rose showed superiority over her husband. Applying feminist literary criticism to these specific scenes can allow the reader or viewer to analyze the different ways in which Rose portrays feminine authority in her household. Although Troy displays overarching patriarchy within the Maxson household in Fences, RoseRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1724 Words   |  7 PagesLord of the â€Å"Guys†: A Feminist Reading of Lord of the Flies CRASH! A plane crashes full of people near an island. The plane is full of grown-ups and children ¾young boys to be exact. Surprisingly, all the grown-ups die and only the young boys survive and discover themselves on an island, in a jungle. Their survival lies only in their young, inexperienced hands. The boys form a society, an all male society. No need for girls right? WRONG! Many might think that a feminist critic would have little ifRead MoreThe Feminist Theory Of Mary Astell s Piece From The Norton Anthology Of English Literature1434 Words   |  6 Pages Mary Astell was a feminist theorist, insists women are guided by reason in society. She believes that women should look to themselves or to God, not to men, for the hope of a better life (The Norton Anthology 2421). (Tyson 1). In Mary Astell’s piece from The Norton Anthology of English Literature,â€Å"From Some Reflections upon Marriage†, she argues the ideas of a feminist approach on marriage through an honest depiction of male motivations, irony in marriage, and lack of education of women. OverallRead MoreFeminist Criticism of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper1216 Words   |  5 Pages Charlotte Perkins Gilman is known as the first American writer who has feminist approach. Gilman criticises inequality between male and female during her life, hence it is mostly possible to see the traces of feminist approach in her works. She deals with the struggles and obstacles which women face in patriarchal society. Moreover, Gilman argues that m arriages cause the subordination of women, because male is active, whereas female plays a domestic role in the marriage. Gilman also arguesRead MorePatriarchy In Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper932 Words   |  4 Pagesonly way for womankind to be liberated by truth is to break the patriarchy. In â€Å"Feminist Criticism†, author Lois Tyson makes similar notions about such patriarchal forces. She writes that â€Å"patriarchy continually exerts forces that undermine women’s self-confidence and assertiveness, then points to the absence of these qualities as proof that women are naturally, and therefore correctly, self-effacing and submissive† (Tyson). Patriarchy enforces the idea that women are submissive by undermining theirRead MoreLinda Patan Poem the Marks2115 Words   |  9 PagesTuohy 1 Mikki Tuohy ENG 390 Dr. Buttram December 12, 2008 Grading Feminist Theory The poem â€Å"Marks† by Linda Pastan is a short piece that focuses on a housewife’s duties being graded by her family as if it were her homework. The wife is graded by her husband, son and daughter using different three grading systems, each time being told that she could do better, but ends by saying that the family should â€Å"Wait ‘til they learn / I’m dropping out† (10-11). In an interview on â€Å"The Newshour with JimRead MoreEssay about A Sorrowful Woman by Gail Godwin958 Words   |  4 Pagessignificant and thus can be repressed. It is why a feminist perspective or criticism comes into place, especially in literature. By definition, a feminist criticism consist of scrutinizing â€Å"the ways in which literature reinforces the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women.† (Tyson) In Gail Godwins’s A Sorrowful Woman, the leading female character is concentrated in her efforts in distancing from her struc tured lifestyle. A feminist would critic Godwins story by as the femaleRead MoreIn The Novel â€Å"Pride And Prejudice†, By Jane Austen, Elizabeth1306 Words   |  6 Pagespost structural challenges and the idea that women are more limited to social obligations. In Feminist criticism, the lens allows the reader to see how different races and genders are distinguished differently based on the time period and/or setting. While Pride and Prejudice is a novel about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s underrated love story, by looking at it from a perspective of feminist criticism we are able to see a judgment of social obligation based on gender and understand the 18 centuryRead MoreFeminist Criticism Of Susan Glaspell s Trifles 1512 Words   |  7 PagesThe feminist theory is always adapting to new cultural and always changing. What stems from the feminism theory is feminist literary criticism â€Å"feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cult ural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women† (Critical Theory Today, 4 Feminist Criticism, pg. 79 Tyson, Louis). This theory shows us how patriarchal our society is and that’s how Susan Glaspell’s shows her work in