This document summarizes the major geographical strains of feminism: American, British, and French. It notes that while they no longer serve as distinct theories, they remained important historically. American feminism stressed the repression of female texts and their inclusion in the literary canon. British feminism took a Marxist view and stressed women's oppression in both literature and society. French feminism was influenced by psychoanalytic theory and highlighted the repression of women in life and art. The overall aim of all three was to rescue women from being seen as "The Other".

1. GEOGRAPHICAL STRAINS OF
FEMINISM

2. • No one particular critical theory of writing
dominated feminist criticism in the ‘60s, ‘70s,
and ‘80s.
– Feminist theory and criticism stressed the
personal, allowing diverse theories and
approached to textual analysis.
• Geography played an important role in
determining the major interests of the various
voices of feminist criticism.

3. AMERICAN
GEOGRAPHICAL
STRAINS OF
FEMINISM
BRITISH
FRENCH

4. • No longer serve as distinct theoretical or
practical boundary.
• Remain important as historical markers in the
development of feminism.
• Showalter (1997) :
 American feminism – essentially textual, stressing
repression of female-authored texts.
 British feminism – essentially Marxist, stressing on
oppression.
 French feminism – essentially psychoanalytic,
stressing on repression.
 Common aim: rescue women from being
considered “The Other”.

6. • Major concern (Kolodny): restoration and
inclusion of female-authored writings to
literary canon.
• To write herstory (history written from a
feminist perspective, emphasizing the role of
women, or told from a woman's point of
view), female writers must find ways to gain
their voice in midst of male dominance.

7. • Male voice has been dominant for too long
(Gilbert & Gubar, 1979).
• This causes “anxiety of authorship” in women,
making them fear both literary creation and
writing.
• A “woman’s sentence” should be developed to
encourage literary autonomy.
– In return, the males are the ones being subjected
to the “anxiety of authorship”.
• Female writers will be able to become free
from being defined by men.

8. • Woman’s sentence too will also free women
from stereotypical images in literature
– “The angel in the house” vs “The madwoman in
the attic”.
• “The angel in the house” = woman supposedly
realizes material and physical comforts are
gifts from her husband, and she is to please
him and attend to his every comfort, and obey
him.

9. • “The madwoman in the attic” = description
given to female characters that rejects the
previous role.
• These representations are unrealistic – if you
are not an angel, then you must be a monster.

11. • Stressed on oppression.
• Inclined towards Marxist theory, it saw art,
literature and life are inseparable.
• Viewed writing, reading and publishing as
facets of life.
• How females are depicted in literature affects
how women will be treated in real life.

12. • The patriarchal society exploits women also
economically and socially.
• The western family structure renders women
to be economically independent, and Western
literature reflected this.
• They (critics) challenges the economic and
social status of women, both in the society
and as depicted in arts, especially texts.
• Aim: not only to critique, but to change
society.

14. • Stressed female oppression in life and art,
highlighting repression of women.
• Closely associated with theoretical and
practical applications of psychoanalysis, and
the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques
Lacan.

15. • Freud believed that phallus is power, and
women are incomplete males who possesses
penis envy.
• Lacan argued that language ultimately shapes
and structures the conscious and non
conscious mind – shaping our self identity, not
the phallus.
• Language as it is structured and understood,
denies women the power of literature and
writing.