feminist literary theory

British Literature on November 4, 2014

Please take out your journals.

• Students will be able to understand the foundations of Feminist literary theory.

HOW? • “Male Gaze”• Postmodern Feminism• Queer Theory

Laura MulveyLaura Mulvey““Visual Pleasure and Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”Narrative Cinema”

The concept of gaze is one that deals with how an audience views the people presented.

For feminists it can be thought of in 3 ways:

• How men look at women • How women look at themselves • How women look at other women

The camera lingers on the curves of the female body, and events which occur to women are presented largely in the context of a man's reaction to these events.

Relegates women to the status of objects. The female viewer must experience the narrative secondarily, by identification with the male. Again, this demonstrates the marginalization of women.

Laura Mulvey coined the term ‘Male Gaze’ in 1975. She believes that in film audiences have to ‘view’ characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male.

This theory can be provided in literature as well. How are women described and represented? In Beowulf and SGGK, it is through the eyes of male heterosexual society.

Jonathan Schroeder (1998), “to gaze implies more than to look at – it signifies a psychological relationship of power, in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze.”

Silently read and annotate the first page of your packet.

“I love the way she fills her clothes.

She looks just like them girls in Vogue.”

Be prepared for questions!

While we watch the music

video, analyze the “Male Gaze” and

other aspects of Feminist

literary theory.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ABNEjPxWEg

1. What color top was the girl wearing? 2. What color top was the boy wearing?3. What bowling lane was used?4. What color belt did the girl wear? What

color belt did the boy wear?5. What color shoes did the girl wear? What

color shoes did the boy wear? 6. What color were the girl’s eyes? What color

were the boy’s eyes?7. Why were some of these questions

difficult?

In your four-column chart, record the following information: How should boys act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

How should men act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

How should girls act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

How should women act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

British Literature

Objectives: •Students will be able to understand the foundations of feminist literary theory. •Students will be able to analyze the symbolism in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.HOW? •Postmodern Feminist Theory•Gender Pronouns & Language Evolution•Pentangle Activity

HAPPY THESAURUS THURSDAY!

Read and annotate a summary of her claims in her book Gender Troubles.

2) Look over your chart. What happens when people do not fit into their roles? How does society treat them? How do you think we should treat them?

How should a boy act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

How should a man act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

How should a girl act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

How should a woman act? What should they look like? What should they be interested in?

• Read and annotate the article “Gender-Neutral Pronouns” from the Washington Post. Remember to have an open mind and to consider the evolution of language that we have witnessed in our studies.

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/gender-neutral-pronouns-when-they-doesnt-identify-as-either-male-or-female/2014/10/27/41965f5e-5ac0-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html