Early Theory – The First Wave Feminism Early Theory – The First Wave

First Wave Feminism late 1700s-early 1900's: writers like Mary Wollstonecraft (A Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1792) highlight the inequalities between the sexes. Activists like Susan B. Anthony and Victoria Woodhull contribute to the women's suffrage movement, which leads to National Universal Suffrage in 1920 with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment

General Characteristics Women are oppressed by patriarchy economically, politically, socially, and psychologically In every domain where patriarchy reigns, woman is other: she is marginalized, defined only by her difference from male norms and values All of western (Anglo-European) civilization is deeply rooted in patriarchal ideology, for example, in the biblical portrayal of Eve as the origin of sin and death in the world While biology determines our sex (male or female), culture determines our gender (masculine or feminine) All feminist activity, including feminist theory and literary criticism, has as its ultimate goal to change the world by prompting gender equality

Types of Feminism Cultural feminism: Focuses on women’s inherent differences from men, including their “natural” kindness, tendencies to nurture, pacifism, relationship focus, and concern for others. Opposes an emphasis on equality and instead argues for increased value placed on culturally designated “women’s work.” Equality feminism: Focuses on gaining equality between men and women in all domains (work, home, sexuality, law). Argues that women should receive all privileges given to men and that biological differences between men and women do not justify inequality. Most common form of feminism represented in the media. Material feminism: Late-19th-century movement to liberate women by improving their material conditions, removing domestic responsibilities such as cooking and housework, and allowing women to earn their own wages. Postcolonial feminism: Emphasizes a rejection of colonial power relationships (in which the colonizer strips the colonized subject of her customs, traditions, and values). Argues for the deconstruction of power relationships and the inclusion of race within feminist analyses. Usually includes all feminist writings not from Britain or the United States.

Progress The first gathering devoted to women’s rights in the United States was held July 19–20, 1848, in Seneca Falls, New York. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a mother of four from upstate New York, and the Quaker abolitionist Lucretia Mott. About 100 people attended the convention; two-thirds were women. Stanton drafted a “Declaration of Sentiments, Grievances, and Resolutions,” that echoed the preamble of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a Massachusetts teacher, met in 1850 and forged a lifetime alliance as women’s rights activists. In 1869 two distinct factions of the suffrage movement emerged. Stanton and Anthony created the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), which directed its efforts toward changing federal law and opposed the 15th Amendment because it excluded women.

A Turning Point The turning point came in the late 1880s and early 1890s, when the nation experienced a surge of volunteerism among middle-class women activists in progressive causes, members of women’s clubs and professional societies, temperance advocates, and participants in local civic and charity organizations The first state to grant women complete voting rights was Wyoming in 1869. Three other western states—Colorado (1893), Utah (1896), and Idaho (1896). Prior to 1910, only these four states allowed women to vote. Nineteenth Amendment: House of Representatives initially passed a voting rights amendment on January 10, 1918. The measure finally cleared Congress with the House again voting its approval by a wide margin on May 21, 1919, and the Senate concurring on June 14, 1919. A year later, on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment, providing full voting rights for women nationally, was ratified when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it.

Further Studies Mary Wollstonecraft - A Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1792 Simone de Beauvoir - Le deuxième sexe, 1972 Julia Kristeva - About Chinese Women, 1977 Elaine Showalter - A Literature of Their Own, 1977; "Toward a Feminist Poetics," 1979 Deborah E. McDowell - "New Directions for Black Feminist Criticism," 1980 Alice Walker - In Search of Our Mother's Gardens, 1983 Lillian S. Robinson - "Treason out Text: Feminist Challenges to the Literary Canon," 1983 Camile Paglia - Sexual Personae: The Androgyne in Literature and Art, 1990