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From New Criticism to Feminism. 1. autonomous self/text, universal human nature, Self/text — gender and sex-- determined by society and history, and more specifically, by patriarchal society. Feminisms: Starting Questions. Who is feminist ? Can a man be a feminist?
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From New Criticism to Feminism 1. autonomous self/text, universal human nature, Self/text—gender and sex-- determined by society and history, and more specifically, by patriarchal society.
Feminisms: Starting Questions • Who is feminist? Can a man be a feminist? • What are the differences between men and women? (gender difference) • Biology--Is our body our destiny? • Personality--What is “being feminine” like? • Career Aptitude—Are there jobs unsuitable for women? • Writing--Do men and women write differently?
Feminisms: Starting Questions(2) • Images of Women: • Are there any texts similar to “A Rose for Emily” or “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” or 母親﹒ • What are the traditional/stereotypical images of women? What’s wrong with them? • How do women deal with those traditional images? Rejecting them completely? • How do women look at women and women’s images? From a man’s perspective, or a woman’s?
Feminisms: Starting Questions(3) • Feminine Writing, Feminist writings and Women’s work: • What is feminine writing? Does it have definite features? • Are all women writers feminist writers? • What are the feminist strategies used in feminist writings and cultural productions?
Feminisms: Starting Questions(4) • Body, Desire, Sexuality and Sexual Orientation: • How do women express/liberate their desires? Is sexual liberation the only good way? How about body sculpture? • How do we determine our sexual orientation? • What is “good sex” and what is “bad”? (How about S/M) • Should pornography be banned? And prostitution be legalized?
Feminisms: focuses in class 1. women's positions in patriarchal society and discourses (this week) 2. history of feminist movement & writings 3. Feminisms and Gender Studies:Radical Feminism, French Feminism, Post-Feminism, Lesbian Feminism, Taiwanese Feminisms
What is patriarchy? • 1. male domination and limitation of women in society; • 2. male superiority in ideologies(e.g. Aristotle declared that "the female is female by virtue of a certain lack of qualities"; St. Thomas Aquinas:woman is an ‘imperfect man’; Confucius) • 3. in language and literature (e.g. chairman, the universal "he"; God as "He"; in Chinese:妒、姦、妙、佞, etc. • 4. in sex and biology (women as rapable, receptacle of sperm)
Male Dominance in Literature • Predominance of male writers • Women limited to writing in certain genres (e.g. diary, letter, romance). • Stereotypical presentation of women
Male Dominance in Literature • Objectifications of Women – Angel or Whore • 1. Stereotyping Idealization; Degradation
Male Dominance in Literature (2): Images of Women • 1) as objects of desire--e.g. "Araby," "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" "To His Coy Mistress" and courtly love poetry, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” • 2) as symbol--"Young Goodman Brown," "Grecian Urn" "To Autumn" • 3) as Other or Villain–Snow White’s Stepmother; Fatal Attraction • 4) women inferior or subordinate--Eve, romance (knight and lady), 007 films and the other Hollywood films (Working Girl, Coma, Silence of the Lamb)
Male Dominance in the Other Cultural Products • Classical Nude Paintings • Hollywood Films (contemporary ambivalent ones: Switch) • Music videos • Commercials, advertisement
Ways of Seeing by J. Berger • nudity is a sign, different from being naked. • The nude in traditional oil paintings either look at "us" (the spectator-owners in the past) or look at the mirror • The nude shows signs of submissiveness (e.g. being languid, passive and thus available).
Dream World (on music videos) • Who gets to tell the story about sexuality in music videos? • Roles of women: musicians, back-up singers, dancers, part of the story, subject of the song. • Main functions: to be looked at, decorative • Behavior: always sexually aroused and active; nyphomaniac • Activities: getting in and out of clothes; available for peeping. • Even female artists are trapped by this male way of looking at women.
Does this ad present an active woman, contrary to traditional stereotypes?
“The Female Body” • “The female body has many uses. It’s been used as a door-knocker, a bottle-opener, as a clock with a ticking belly, as something to hold up lampshades, as a nutcracker, just squeeze the brass legs together and out comes your nut. . . . “ Margaret Atwood