Feminism approach

1. FEMINISM
LITERARY CRITICISM

7. • LIKE THE ACTIVISM BEHIND
POLITICS, FEMINISM IS
CRITICAL IN LITERATURE
BECAUSE IT ALLOWS
WOMEN TO SPEAK UP FOR
THEIR BELIEFS. IT ALSO
GIVES THEM A VOICE THAT
INTRODUCES AN
ALTERNATIVE TO

8.  WOMEN ARE OPPRESSED BY
PATRIARCHY (SOCIETY GOVERNED OR
LED BY MALES) ECONOMICALLY,
POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND
PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
 WHILE BIOLOGY DETERMINES OUR SEX
(MALE OR FEMALE), CULTURE SETS THE
STANDARDS OF WHAT IS TO BE

9.  FEMINISM HAS ITS ULTIMATE GOAL TO
CHANGE THE WORLD BY PROMOTING
GENDER EQUALITY.
 GENDER ISSUES PLAY A PART IN EVERY
ASPECT OF HUMAN PRODUCTION AND
EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING THAT OF
LITERATURE.

10. FEMINISM
• IT IS ALSO THE ADVOCACY OF WOMEN’S
RIGHTS ON THE GROUNDS OF POLITICAL,
SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC EQUALITY TO MEN.
THIS MEANS THAT FEMINISM IS A
MOVEMENT THAT AIMS TO PROVIDE EQUAL
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN TO BECOME
INTELLECTUAL EQUALS OF MEN.

11. MISCONCEPTIONS ON
FEMINISM
• THERE ARE VARIOUS
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT FEMINISM,
SOME OF WHICH ARE THE
FOLLOWING:

12. 1. ALL FEMINISTS HATE MEN.
• FEMINISM DOES NOT AIM TO
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST MEN OR THE
MALE GENDER, IT PROMOTES THE
EQUALITY OF WOMEN TO MEN BY
DISMISSING THE IDEA THAT MEN ARE
SUPERIOR TO WOMEN.

13. 2. FEMINISM ONLY LIBERATES
WOMEN AT THE EXPENSE OF
MEN.
• FEMINISM DOES NOT BENEFIT ONLY WOMEN.
MEN CAN ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE IDEALS OF
FEMINISM BECAUSE IT CHAMPIONS THE IDEA
THAT MEN SHOULD NOT BE PRESSURED WITH
IDEA THAT THEY SHOULD BE PLACED IN A
STEREOTYPE THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
STRONG OR THAT THEY HAVE TO BE THE SOLE

14. 3. WOMEN CANNOT BE FEMININE
AND BE A FEMINIST AT THE SAME
TIME.
• BEING A FEMINIST DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU
HAVE TO QUIT SHAVING OR BECOME MORE
“MASCULINE” IN TERMS OF MOVEMENT OR
MANNER OF SPEAKING. FEMINISM FOCUSES ON
THE EQUALITY BETWEEN GENDERS, AND IT DOES
NOT FOLLOW THAT YOUR EXPRESSION SHOULD
SACRIFICE YOUR BELIEFS OR HOW YOU SHOULD

15. 4. FEMINISTS ARE “MAN-HATERS”
OR LESBIANS.”
• ONE’S SEXUAL ORIENTATION DOES NOT MAKE
THE PERSON A FEMINIST OR NON-FEMINIST.
BEING A FEMINIST DOES NOT MEAN THAT ONE IS
A BELIEVER THAT ALL MEN ARE UNWORTHY OR
THAT ONE IS A WOMAN WHO IS ATTRACTED TO
ANOTHER WOMAN. BEING A FEMINIST JUST MEANS
THAT ONE FIGHTS FOR THE ABOLISHMENT OF A
PATRIARCHAL.

16. 5. MEN CANNOT BE FEMINISTS.
• ON THE CONTRARY, MEN CAN BE FEMINISTS
TOO. FEMINISM CAN HELP MEN AS MUCH IT
HELPS WOMEN. IT PROMOTES THE
ABOLISHMENT OF STEREOTYPES THAT
HINDER MEN FROM EXPRESSING THEIR
ABILITY TO FEEL AND BECOME VULNERABLE
AND HUMAN.

17. PATRIARCHY
• IT IS DEFINED AS A SYSTEM OF SOCIAL
ORGANIZATION WHEREIN MEN ARE THE
MAIN FIGURE OF AUTHORITY IN A
FAMILY, CLAN, OR TRIBE AND THAT
THIS AUTHORITY IS PASSED ON TO THE
MALE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY.
• MORE SUPERIOR POSITION THAN

18. GENDER ROLES OF MALES AND
FEMALES
MALES FEMALES
strong emotional
rational weak
decisive submissive
protective nurturing

19. • IT IS BELIEVED THAT IN A PATRIARCHAL
SOCIETY, MALES ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A
STRONGER PERSONALITY WHEREIN THEY ARE
NOT ALLOWED TO CRY OR SHOW
VULNERABILITY. MEN SHOULD ALSO HAVE
THE CAPACITY TO BE A GOOD DECISION-
MAKER AND PROVIDER BECAUSE THEY ARE
EXPECTED TO BE THE PROVIDER AND
PROTECTOR OF THE FAMILY OR UNIT.

20. • THEY ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO AVOID
EXPRESSING EMOTIONS OF LOVE OR
SYMPATHY TOWARD OTHER MEN AND
BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN EVERYTHING
THEY DO. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL
BRAND THEM AS BEING “WOMANLY,
FEMININE, OR BEING GAY OR
EFFEMINATE.

21. • ON THE OTHER HAND, WOMEN ARE
CONSIDERED WEAK AND VULNERABLE.
THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE “DAMSELS IN
DISTRESS” WHO NEED TO BE SAVED BY
THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS.

22. • BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ARE EXPECTED
TO SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO THE
AUTHORITY OF THE MALES BECAUSE THEY
ARE SEEN AS “THE WEAKER ONE.” THEY
ARE ALSO SEEN MOTHERS: ONES WHO
NURTURE AND GUIDE THE CHILDREN.

23. • WOMEN SHOWING STRONGER
PERSONALITIES ARE OFTEN
BRANDED AS BEING VIOLENT,
AGGRESSIVE, OR EVEN MONSTROUS.

24. AIM OF FEMINIST MOVEMENT
• TO ERADICATE THE OBJECTIFICATION
OF WOMEN BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE
PATRIARCHAL IDEOLOGY. WOMEN
SHOULD NOT BE DEFINED BY THE IDEA
OF INFERIORITY ESTABLISHED BY THE
PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY.

25. AIM OF FEMINIST MOVEMENT
• MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUALLY ALLOWED
TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS WITHOUT BASING
ON THEIR SEX OR WHAT IS EXPECTED OF
THEM BY SOCIETY. THEY SHOULD HAVE
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE NOT
DICTATED OR AFFECTED BY THEIR SEX OR
POSITION IN SOCIETY.

26. CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. WHAT IS FEMINISM?
2. WHAT ARE THE MISCONCEPTIONS ON
FEMINISM?
3. WHY ARE MEN EXPECTED TO HAVE
STRONGER PERSONALITIES THAN
WOMEN?

27. 4. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MEN SHOW
WEAKNESS AND VULNERABILITY?
5. IN YOUR OWN WORDS, WHAT IS THE
AIM OF FEMINISM?

28. THANKYOU! 