Feminist Literary Theory Karyn.Pilgrim@esc.

edu 718-907-5739 Mentor: Karyn Pilgrim Term: Jan 2013 Purpose: The purpose of this study is to introduce the student to feminist literary criticism and theory. Literary theory is the practice of reading and writing about literature from a particular critical standpoint. There are many different standpoints, or critical lenses, that can be used when applying literary theory to a text, and each of these different standpoints has its own historical development from a particular school of thought, philosophy, or identity. Feminist literary theory is one such standpoint, and it involves applying a feminist lens to the reading of literature, as well as the reading and analyzing of other standpoints in critical theory. Feminist theory considers the ways by which our personal identity is shaped by cultural assumptions and expectations for what it means to be a woman or man. Feminist literary theory applies these considerations to the reading and analyzing of literary texts. Learning Outcomes: The student will have an introductory familiarity with multiples schools of feminist literary theory, and be able to articulate in discussion and writing the significant developments, issues, and competing modes of inquiry that this discipline opens up. The students should be comfortable with applying multiple feminist critical lenses to the reading and analyzing of literature. Among the issues that the student should be conversant with by terms end are: a) the emergence of feminist ideas in literary texts by women and men, the historical exclusion and/or marginalization of women authors and womens ideas from the literary canon; b) theories on language and how it shapes gender categories, power relationships, and even bodies; c) theories on the construction of identity and bodies; the social production of sex and gender d) the significance of a critical examination of those works of literature deemed great as well as the restitution of forgotten texts by women into the literary canon; e) heterosexism and feminist theory Learning Activities: The required text for this study is: Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar, Eds. Feminist Literary Theory and Criticism: A Norton Reader. NY, NY: W. Norton and Norton, 2007.
1

The required activities are: 1. The student will read 16 essays from the above text, as listed in order below. The student is expected to read carefully, and read the challenging essays twice, taking careful notes on the text and jotting down questions for the mentor (according to the students interests or need for clarification). 2. For 8 of the 16 essays read, the student should submit a 400 (or more) word summary (typed) by email to Karyn.Pilgrim@esc.edu which accomplishes the following: 1. explains the key, or main ideas that the reading addresses 2. explains to stance, or argument, of the author of the reading 3. The student will also keep a journal (typed, in a single document), with 16 entries total (one for each of the essays read), in which the student records her/his reactions to each of the readings. While these reactions will not be graded for content, they should be at least 150 words typed, each. Reactions that are shorter than this will not be considered adequate. The journal is due on the last day of the term, by email. Study Plan for students: Read the following essays/excerpts in the order they are listed. Each reading should be read carefully, and difficult readings should be read twice, as is standard practice for students of literature. After reading the essay, write a journal entry in which you react to the essay. You should write a journal entry of 100-200 words typed, for all 16 essays read. The entries should be kept in a single MS Word document, which you will submit to the mentor at the midpoint of the term (when the mentor requests it) and on the last day of the term. Then, (for 8 of the 16 essays, not all 16, and of your choosing!) write a 400 word (or more) summary of the essay as explained above, and email the summary of the essay to the mentor. The summary does not need to be in essay form (meaning, with an introduction, body, or conclusion) and it may even be a single paragraph. It should be written with careful attention paid to using precise words, and clear expression of meaning. After the mentor has provided feedback on the summary, you may revise it (but you dont have to, unless the mentor specifically asks you to). Essay readings: #1) Sandra Gilbert. Introduction. pp. 3-12 #2) Mary Wollstonecraft. From A Vindication of the Rights of Women. pp. 41-47
2

#3) George Eliot. Margaret Fuller and Mary Wollstonecraft. Pp.79-85 #4) Anna Julia Cooper. From The Higher Education of Women. Pp. 112-118 #5) Virginia Woolf. From A Room of Ones Own, pp.123-4, and pp.128-137 #6) Simone de Beauvoir. From The Second Sex. Pp.299-322 *You should have read the above 6 essays by the end of week four of the term, and written at least 2 of the 8 summaries (and 6 journal entries) #7) Kate Millett. From Sexual Politics. Pp.336-349 #8) Mary Ellmann. Thinking About Women. Pp.323-336 #9) Sherry Ortner. Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture? pp.350-367 #10) Gayle Rubin. From The Traffic in Women pp.392-412 #11) Annette Kolodny. Dancing Through the Minefield. Pp.473-492 *You should have read through essay #11 by the end of the 8th week of the term, written at least 5 of the 8 summaries, and 11 journal entries. #12) Monique Wittig. One is Not Born a Woman. Pp.544-551 #13) Diana Fuss. From Essentially Speaking. Pp.685-682 #14) Bell Hooks. Postmodern Blackness. Pp.701-708 #15) Barbara Christian. The Race for Theory. Pp.620-629 #16) Elizabeth Abel. From Black Writing, White Reading pp.723-731 *You should have read all 16 of the essays above by the start of the last week of the term. All 8 summaries AND the journal with 16 entries must be submitted (except after receiving prior approval from the mentor) by the last day of the term by email to the mentor. Methods and Criteria for Evaluation: The student will be graded on his/her success at clearly explaining the key ideas and overall argument of each essay read. After reading each essay, the student will submit a short (400 word or longer) summary of what the essay was about, what significant issue the essay dealt with, and what the author had to say about this issuethe authors stance. The summary will receive a grade according to how clearly the student is able to discuss the main issues and stance of the essay, rather than by detailing the authors argument or reacting to it with opinion or agree/disagreement. The purpose of this study is to absorb new ideas and understand the ideas themselves, as opposed to focusing on what is right or wrong about them. For this reason, the student should write clearly, briefly, and carefully, and read every essay at least twice in order to understand it fully. The journal will receive a grade according to its length and development. This means that if the student wrote a journal entry of 100 or more words for all 16 essays read, the student will receive an A grade for the journal. Missing entries or overly short entries will lower the letter grade.

For the final grade, assuming in all cases that the journal has been turned in, and that in most cases the 8 summaries were turned in on time: An A grade will demonstrate that the student has explained the main ideas in each of 8 essays accurately, whether in simple or more complex wording. The student has furthermore read each essay twice, as is evidenced by the students command of the ideas. The journal is also complete with 16 entries. A B grade will demonstrate that the student has, for the most part but with occasional confusion or inaccuracy, explained the main ideas in most of the 8 essays accurately. It is evident that the student has read all the essays carefully, as evidenced by the students command of ideas and 16 journal entries. A C grade will demonstrate that the student was able to explain the main ideas, issues, and arguments of at least six of the essays read, although there may be some inaccuracy or confusion involved in these successful explanations. The student must have read at least 12 of the essays carefully, even if with less success in comprehension, as evidenced by 12 entries in the students journal. No D grade will be granted for this study. Plan for Formative Assessment: The student will receive frequent feedback in writing and conversation throughout the term. After each essay has been read, the student will write a reaction in her/his journal for all 16 essays read. Also, for 8 of the 16 essays read, the student will submit a short written summary of the reading, and receive feedback within one week from the instructor. The student will be encouraged to revise the summary if it was not successful. Furthermore, the student will speak by phone and/or in person at least once a month, at which time the student and mentor will clarify important ideas and address the students questions and room for development.