1. Group 2 Angela Baldwin, Logan Knight, Thomas Sietman, Amy Wilsom

2. 3 Main Strains Of Feminist Criticism  French Feminists  American Feminists  British Feminists

3. French Feminists LLanguage RRepresents world from male perspective EEx: aactive/passive mmasculine/feminine hhead/heart (reason/emotion) ssun/moon WWomen can choose to speak (as men) or be “silent, the invisible and unheard sex”

4. Opposing Views within French Feminism  Women can develop a feminine language  Julia Kristeva says it is rhythmic and unifying  Maternal in nature  Associates feminine writing with the female body  Women’s sensuality has been repressed and denied expression  Fauré and Clément, however, feel this approach does not challenge masculine dominance

5. American Feminists  Literature  Analyze literary texts of men and women rather than emphasizing language  “abstract philosophizing”  2 Different Groups  Critique of male literature  “Gynocriticism”

6. “Gynocritcism”  Elaine Showalter  Study the writings of women who produced a literature of their own  Purposes:  (re)study well-known female authors  Rediscover women’s history & culture  Discover neglected/forgotten female writers

7. British Feminists PPopular Art and Culture RRegard their practice as more political BBelieve focusing on women’s texts outside of the historical culture is dangerous LLeads to making generalizations without considering the culture, ideology, race, or class of the women BBritish theory emphasizes knowing historical processes in order to promote social change.

8. Relation to Hamlet  Showalter says that Ophelia has a “story of her own”  Combines French feminist thought with a more American approach  Looks at the way literature is changed by popular culture over time