Feminisms and feminist literary critics
This is a unique and different approach to the world of literature y women's authors\writers. They developed the specific and different traits which were, so far considered in dark, inactive, and overlooked parts of literature. This approach see literature free sex\gender dominancy; this approach also see literature with women's view. This dominate modern contribution and rejection (to man's dominant literature) by women's writers\authors in termed feminism in literature fields.
Elaine Showalter has identified three phases for modern women's literary development. The feminine phase (1840-1880) during this period women writers imitated the dominant mate traditions.
The feminist phase (1880-1920) during this period of time the women writers educated for their rights.
The feminist phase (1920-present) during this period the women writers started active role and opposition to the men's dominant literature. They started uncovering misogyny in male texts. They rediscover women's text and women in the work (literature).
According to Showalter there are four current models of difference taken up by many feminist around the world. These are biological, linguistic psychoanalytical and cultural.
According to Ross. C. Murfin, it is the era of recovering women's texts in which the goal is to recover entire culture of women.
During this new school of criticism arose from the struggles for women's rights by the women's critics. Many women realized that the basic cause of inequality (injustice) was cultural. This perception led to the development of feminist literary criticism. Using psychological, archetypal, and sociological approaches. Feminist criticism studies images of women and concepts of the feminine in literature.
Feminist critics have shown that literature reflects a patriarchal culture –a culture organized n the favor of men . patriarchal culture depicted women in two ways:
1- Goddesses when they serve the patriarchal society in the role of virtuous wives and mothers.
2- Witches and a prosts when they do……..serve the patriarchal society.
Feminist criticism focuses on characters an issues that have been neglected or marginalize in previous studies. This makes feminist criticism one of the most exciting contemporary approaches to literature. It has also some common qualities (social equality) with Marxist approaches.
