Feminism – Literary Theory – UGC NET – Notes

Introduction

• In the contemporary world, no matter where we are located, we are all part of the feminist discourse. I hope you will agree with me that today all of us believe in human potential. Society has now recognized biological identity as one of the many parameters which decide who we are. As we grow and evolve, several factors affect us to eventually create our unique identity. You are born into what society has predetermined as a male identity or a female identity. But this is regressive, as many of us do not feel entirely manly or womanly in the traditional sense.
• As such, feminism today is a broad umbrella term that focuses on the empowerment of people who are forced to conform to pre-determined identities that are rigidly set by a society historically dominated by patriarchy. Traditionally, feminism has been an engagement with issues concerning women’s rights.
• As a theoretical perspective, Feminism examines and challenges social, political, and economic inequalities based on gender. It seeks to dismantle patriarchal structures, advocating for gender equity and the inclusion of marginalized identities.

Feminism has evolved through distinct waves of feminism:

• First-wave feminism focused on legal rights, particularly suffrage.

• Second-wave feminism addressed social and cultural inequalities.

• Third-wave feminism embraced intersectionality, considering race, class, and sexuality.

• Fourth-wave feminism engages with digital activism and global gender justice.

Feminist theory intersects with disciplines like Marxism, postcolonialism, and queer theory, analyzing how power, privilege, and identity shape human experiences and institutions.

Origin of Feminism

• ‘Feminism’ as a recognized, formal movement evolved in Europe with the explicit purpose of voicing the concerns of women so that women feel valued and empowered. Women have traditionally been assigned to the domestic sphere with limited, even negative, access to economic participation. While male education and employment are universally accepted, for women these remain largely a privilege.
• If we revisit ancient political, social, economic, and scientific texts, and works of art and literature, we realize that these works have been created, with rare exceptions, by men. Where are the women? Why are there no women? These questions make us feminist. Across the globe—Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Central/East/South Asia, or East Europe—we constantly confront gender-based issues that shape our social and ethical codes. What we consider morally correct or improper is often a trained and internalized reaction.
• Questions such as: How should married couples interact? What are the duties of men and women? What are the legal and natural rights of the LGBT community?—directly challenge patriarchy, which assumes that men are stronger than women and the natural heads of families. Feminism is a fight for equality among sexes, ideally without discrimination in jobs, wages, promotion, housing, and medical facilities.
• As a formal movement, feminism began powerfully in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Industrialization, urbanization, overcrowded cities, and rising crimes against women exposed deep inequalities. In Wollstonecraft’s time, women’s education was treated as an indulgence, while employment was largely impossible. Women were seen as a liability, not an asset. Upon marriage, a husband gained legal ownership of his wife’s property and became the legal guardian of their children. A woman was expected to exist only as a wife and mother.
• If a marriage failed, the woman often lost all economic security and legal rights, as her possessions belonged to her husband. Society denied women an independent identity; their existence was justified only through family roles. Wollstonecraft forcefully argued for women’s education and gainful employment, igniting a broader revolution against patriarchal injustice.
• In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft published her seminal work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, widely regarded as the first foundational text of feminist thought.
• You will find it rather interesting that the movement for women empowerment was not met with strong opposition. By and large, women were heard and accommodated, and their social status improved. However, the term feminism only began to be used in the last two decades of the nineteenth century. The French philosopher Charles Fourier is generally credited with coining it. In 1872, Fourier used “feminism” in a derogatory sense to describe what he called the “illness” of womanly qualities appearing in men.
• Despite this negative beginning, feminism gradually gained acceptance and came to describe the universal oppression of women within a male-centric society. While we appreciate the enthusiasm of early feminism, we must remember that this marked the beginning of a movement that would expand far beyond its initial scope.
• At this historical juncture in the nineteenth century, feminism was largely elitist, limited to educated, wealthy, middle-class European women in Europe and America. Yet even then, women in America—particularly those of British ancestry—were vocal about African American rights, showing early signs of broader social consciousness.
• Today, feminism is a dynamic and evolving global movement that resists simple definition. It passionately challenges biological binaries (male/female) and questions rigid identity structures. All of us, regardless of background, have experienced or participated in sexual hierarchy in some form. Feminism has made society more aware of patriarchal bigotry and systemic inequality.
• Contemporary feminism encompasses diverse forms of resistance, advocating for sexual identity, bodily autonomy, and equal access to employment opportunities. Depending on its focus, feminism is categorized into various types of feminism and studied historically through the waves of feminism.
• An extremely complex and multifaceted global phenomenon, feminism incorporates local sensibilities from different nations, regions, and communities. It is imperative that we remain aware of its various manifestations, as feminism ultimately strives for sexual diversity, liberation, and empowerment.