This document provides instructions and summaries of works related to feminism in literature. It instructs the reader to examine classic feminist texts, consider the portrayal of female characters, and compare male and female authors. It then summarizes Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and how the female characters reinforce patriarchal views. Next, it summarizes Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and some of its themes. It concludes with a summary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and how it both reinforces and challenges patriarchal beliefs through its female characters.

1. Camila Matias
Deyane Bruna
Renato Mendes

2. Instructions
Check out a guide book on feminism in literature.

4. Look for classic feminist

5. Consider the treatment of female subjects in
all forms of literature.

6. Examine the roles of female characters in
literature.

7. Compare the writings of male and female
authors.

8. Death of a Salesman ( Arthur
Miller 1949)

9. Characters
 Willy Loman
 Linda Loman
 Biff Loman
 Happy Loman
 Charley
 Bernard
 Uncle Bem
 Howard Wagner
 Jenny

10. 1. The ways in which the female characters
function as token of male status.
2. The ways in which “good girl/bad girl” view
of women validates the Loman men’s
sexism.
3. The ways in which Linda Loman has
internalized patriarchal ideology.

11. Recognize when a literary work depicts
patriarchal ideology.
Author:
Toni Morrison
She is an American novelist,
editor, and professor. She won the
Nobel prize in literature in 1993
and in 1987 the Pulitzer
Prize for Beloved.

12. The Bluest Eye
The book was written in
1970 and tells a story about an
young black girl named Pecola.
She is a troubled young girl
with a hard life, whose parents
are constantly fighting, both
physically and verbally. Pecola
is continually being told and
reminded of what an “ugly”
girl she is, thus fueling her
desire to be white with blue
eyes .

13. "Each night Pecola prayed for blue eyes. In her eleven years, no one had
ever noticed Pecola. But with blue eyes, she thought, everything would be
different. She would be so pretty that her parents would stop fighting. Her
father would stop drinking. Her brother would stop running away. If only
she could be beautiful. If only people would look at her."
Themes:
Racism
Sexism
Female power

14. Author:
Mary Shelley
She was an English
novelist, short story writer,
dramatist, essayist, biographer,
and travel writerbest known
for her Gothic Nove
Frankenstein: or The Modern
Prometheus (1818).

15. Frankenstein
The novel tells the story
of Victor Frankenstein, a
student of natural sciences that
builds a monster in his
laboratory.
However, Victor is disgusted wi
th his creation, and abandon it,
escaping.

16. The text weakens the patriarchal belief.
Caroline – support of her father;
Justine – unjust condemnation;
Safie – defies her patriarchal father;
The Monster – indirect advocate for women’s rights.

17. Frankstein
The novel reinforces patriachal ideology:
• Caroline dies as a dutiful mother;
• Justine dies as a dutiful servant and
surrogate mother;
• Elizabeth dies as a dutiful mother and
surrogate mother, trusting her husband’s
judgment.

18. Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley’s conflicts:
• About her husband;
• Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft.