Introduction

Feminist criticism started out as an uprising against the male-dominated, conventional literary criticism
that disregarded women's literature. Traditional literary critics held the belief that women were
incapable of any abstract cognition or theorizing. The feminist critics were conscious that up until that
point, criticism had been primarily male and had focused primarily on male authors. Feminist criticism
strives to evaluate and revise ideas that were originally thought to be universal but come from specific
cultures and have unique purposes. It aims to rethink our conception of reality and human nature,
which calls into question some of literary criticism's more established preoccupations, such as accepted
canons and reading practices. Women's frustration with being treated as objects of everything gave rise
to feminism, which allows them to express themselves. Women are no longer dangerous. men are
being as dangerous or mind-controlling beings. However, women can be employed and accomplish
things just as well as males.

History

According to Simone de Beauvoir, Christine de Pizan's Epitre au Dieu d'Amour (Epistle to the God of
Love), which she penned in the fifteenth century, was "the first time we see a woman take up her pen in
defense of her sex." In the sixteenth century, Modesta di Pozzo di Forzi and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
both produced works. Francois Poullain de la Barre, Anne Bradstreet, and Marie Le Jars de Gournay all
wrote in the seventeenth century.

A political, cultural, or economic movement focused at giving women the same privileges and legal
defense might be referred to as feminism. Feminism is a movement that promotes equal opportunity for
women and works to advance their rights and interests. It also includes political, sociological, and
philosophical theories and philosophies that address issues of gender difference. Despite the fact that
the terms "feminism" and "feminist" were not become widely used until the 1970s, they were already
part of the popular lexicon much earlier. For instance, Katherine Hepburn refers to the "feminist
movement" in the 1942 movie Woman of the Year.

The history of feminism, in the opinion of Maggie Humm and Rebecca Walker, can be broken down into
three phases. The nineteenth and early twentieth century saw the beginning of the first feminist wave;
the 1960s and 1970s saw the second; and the 1990s saw the third. These feminist movements gave rise
to Feminist philosophy. It shows up in a few academic fields, including feminist history, feminist
geographical location, and feminist literary criticism.

The prevalent viewpoints in many facets of Western society, from culture to legislation, have been
influenced by feminism. Feminist activists have fought for women's legal rights (such as the right to
vote, the right to own belongings, and the right to enter into contracts); for women's right to autonomy
and physical integrity; for the right to an abortion; for the just to a healthy pregnancy; for the defense of
women and girls from sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and rape; for workplace rights (such as
maternity leave and equal pay); and against misogyny and other forms of sexism.

In the majority of its existence, Western European and North American middle-class white women have
led the majority of feminist groups and theories. But since Sojourner Truth's 1851 address to American
feminists, women of other races have put forward different feminisms. The Civil Rights movement in the
US and the end of European colonialism in the African continent, the Caribbean, some of Latin America,
and Southeast Asia also contributed to the acceleration of this movement in the 1960s. Since then,
"Post-colonial" and "Third World" feminisms have been presented by women in the Third World and
former European colonies. The ethnocentrism of Western feminism is criticized by certain Postcolonial
Feminists, like Chandra Talpade Mohanty. Angela Davis and Alice Walker, two prominent black
feminists, hold this opinion.

Waves of feminism

Since the mid-19th century, organized women's activist developments within the Joined together States
have called for more prominent political, financial and social opportunity and balance for ladies.
However not all of these developments have sought after the same particular goals, taken the same
approaches to activism or included the same bunches of ladies in their energizing cry. Since of these
generational contrasts, it’s common to listen woman's rights partitioned into four particular waves, each
generally comparing to a diverse time period.

First wave of feminism

This notion of the "feminist wave" first emerged in the late 1960s to distinguish the then-
nascent women's struggle from the early women's rights movement that emerged at the 1848
Seneca Falls convention. At the same time, the concept of a "second wave" associated the
movement with early women activists in the long and valuable effort for women's rights.
Furthermore, Black feminists like Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells were largely ignored or
marginalised by the women's suffrage movement. Although ratification of the 19th Amendment
in 1920 achieved the primary objective of the first wave of feminism—guaranteeing white
women the right to vote—Black women and other women of colour continued to confront
challenges until the implementation of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Seond wave of feminism
Betty Friedan claimed in her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique that women were dissatisfied
with the restrictions their roles as wives and mothers placed on them. The book, which sold 3
million copies in three years, was a major success and contributed to the second wave of
feminism. Second-wave feminists, who drew their inspiration from the civil rights movement
and anti-Vietnam War protests, called for a reexamination of socially dictated gender standards
and the elimination of sexism.
As Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, and Betty Friedan established the National Women's Political
Caucus in 1971, feminism—or "women's liberation"—became more powerful as a political force
in the 1970s. The Equal Pay Act and the historic Supreme Court rulings in Griswold v.
Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) concerning freedom of reproduction were among
the high points of the second wave. The Equal Rights Amendment was ratified by Congress in
1972, but despite this, a conservative backlash prevented it from receiving the required number
of state ratifications.
Second-wave feminism, like the fight for suffrage, came under fire for emphasising affluent
white women, and some Black women started their own feminist groups, such as the National
Black Feminist Organisation (NBFO). Despite its successes, the cause of women's liberation had
started to wane by 1980, the year Ronald Reagan was elected president by conservative forces
Third wave
The movement that formed in the early 1990s concentrated on addressing issues that
remained, such as sexual harassment in the workplace and a dearth of women in positions of
power, despite the fact that second-wave feminism's achievements had clearly increased
women's equality and rights. While seeing Anita Hill speak before the Senate Judiciary
Committee about her allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court candidate
Clarence Thomas, Rebecca Walker, the mixed-race daughter of second-wave pioneer Alice
Walker, declared the advent of feminism's "third wave" in 1992. There were a record-breaking
amount of women elected to Congress in that same year, which was dubbed the "Year of the
Woman."
Third wave feminism also aimed to be more racial and gender inclusive. In this field, Kimberlé
Crenshaw's work on the idea of "intersectionality," or how many forms of oppression (based on
race, class, gender, etc.) can overlap, has had a significant impact. The work of gender theorist
Judith Butler was also a source of inspiration for third-wave feminists, who supported trans
rights through intersectional feminism.
Fourth wave of feminism
Though some contend that fourth wave feminism is simply a continuation of the third wave, there is no
doubt that the development of the Internet has given rise to a new type of social media-driven activism.
The #MeToo campaign, which Tarana Burke started in 2007, really took off in 2017 after it was made
public that influential film producer Harvey Weinstein had engaged in sexual misconduct.

Fourth-wave feminists are focusing on the institutions that allow such assault to happen in addition to
holding prominent men responsible for their crimes. They continue to struggle with the idea of
intersectionality and how the movement may be inclusive and representative regardless of sexuality,
colour, class, and gender, just like their forebears in the feminist fight.

Key concepts of feminism criticism

Sex, gender, racism, discrimination, equality, difference, and choice are at the heart of feminist thought.
Systems and mechanisms already in existence work against people based on these characteristics as well
as against equality and equity. The conviction that truths can be discovered by exploring these present
circumstances in the current social order is a necessity for research in critical paradigms. But more
importantly, this investigation can raise awareness of repressive organizations while also fostering
platforms for many voices to speak up for themselves (Egbert & Sanden, 2019).
Key works

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir (1949)

Sexual Politics by Kate Millett (1970)

Against Our Will: Men. Women and Rape by Susan Brwnmiller (1975)

Isn't I am Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks (1981)

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (2014)

A room of ones own by verginia Wolf

Background of feminism in western countries.

Women were restricted to domestic life for the most of Western history, while males were expected to
participate in the public arena. Women were prohibited from owning property, going to school, and
taking part in public life in mediaeval Europe. In France at the turn of the 20th century, they were still
required to cover their heads in public, and in some regions of Germany, a husband could still legally sell
his wife. In Europe and the United States (where multiple territories and counties gave women's
suffrage long before the federal government did so), women were still prohibited from voting and from
holding electoral office as late as the early 20th century. Women were not allowed to conduct business
without a male representative, whether it was their father, brother husband and sun. Married women
were forbidden to manage their own children without their husbands' consent. Women were also
denied entrance to schooling and excluded from most occupations. Such limitations on women still exist
in various regions of the world.

Criticism of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Feminists

.Numerous films (most famously the 1951 animated Disney picture), musicals, parodies, and even books
of comics have been based on the tale of an infant girl who follows a rabbit into an unfamiliar realm.
Although its bizarre characters and surprising narrative keep captivating audiences, it may be the absurd
things that Carroll and his characters say that make the play so classic.

Lewis Carroll's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is set in Victorian England. In the Victorian era,
women were subject to the rules of a traditional and conservative community and were required to
conform to predefined sex stereotypes. Following these guidelines was intended as a strategy to stifle a
feminist rebellion. In this story, a young girl named Alice, who is seven years old, continually defies these
gender expectations by inventing the fantastical setting known as Wonderland. The weight of being a
woman has been lifted, allowing her to live a life of freedom and creativity in this world. This enables
woman to be independent and make independent choices while being influenced by the views of other
men.A woman's existence without societal constraints is depicted in a novel written by Lewis Carroll.
Carroll constantly makes fun of and diminishes the qualities of a woman, as may be seen by reading this
book through a feminist lens.

F1 In the opening chapter of the book, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and enters Wonderland, getting her
first glimpse of the new world she has created. She is eager to embark on an adventure in order to
become independent, but she has no idea what is waiting for her on the other side. She bids adieu to
the expectations that society has set on women by falling down the rabbit hole. Alice sets off on a quest
that few women would feel secure taking. This serves as an illustration of how women may be strong
leaders while resisting being devalued by socially imposed gender stereotypes. Attending this trip by
yourself illustrates the fact that every woman has the capacity to be independent even when there isn't
a man around. This helps Alice to keep her newly gained autonomy and make the required choices on
her own.

The struggle of the kid to live in the perplexing world of grownups is shown in Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland. Alice must go past the childlike openness that is necessary for understanding our mature
reality.

It seems that regulations are necessary for grownups to follow. Today, however, the majority of
individuals follow these laws mindlessly and without considering the "why." As a result, Alice in
Wonderland encounters unpredictable and occasionally random behavior.

Verginia wolf

Although it is non-fiction, Woolf's essay exhibits the same imaginative ability as her fiction. Her use of
the Mary Beton persona, the word "But" to start her essay in the middle of it, and her inventive weaving
of anecdote and narrative into her "argument" all, in a way, embody the two-sided or "androgynous"
approach to writing that, according to Woolf, all authors should aim for.

A Room of One's Own is a book that combines logical, linear reasoning with meandering narration, is
both gravely serious and whimsically humorous, and is both radically controversial and, in some ways,
quietly conservative.

Woolf pays careful consideration to both the material and social restrictions on women's lives
everywhere. This is why her thesis is centred on the sentence that gives her essay its title: "A woman
must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

Because the financial policies for women were geared towards preparing them for marriage and
motherhood rather than educating them to become family breadwinners, Judith Shakespeare, William
Shakespeare's supposed sister, would never have achieved literary greatness. Marriage was viewed as
the most significant financial and material event in their lives because it was only by becoming a man's
wife that a woman could achieve financial security.

Such a woman would typically not have "a room of her own" (because the spaces where she would
spend her time, such as the kitchen, bedroom, and nursery, were designed for domestic activities) or
funds (because the wife's wealth and property would, legally, relate to her husband), preferably until
the end of the nineteenth century, when the Married Women's Property Act entered English law.

We should all be feminists

A feminist works to develop and achieve gender equality in society, business, politics, and daily life. The
word "feminism" has a lot of baggage and is frequently discussed and criticized by both men and
women. Instead of being a natural and sensible concept that everyone should strive for, feminism has
given rise to a number of social movements, political protests, and divisive debates. Chimmanda's
enlarged essay, We Should All Be Feminist, which was made into a book, is a quick yet thought-
provoking read that elaborates on the ideas she covered in her TED talk of the same name. You should
read this book for an hour every day for the following reasons.

The endeavour to realize the conceptually straightforward idea of gender equality is at the heart of
this article. Chimamanda sums up the normalization of patriarchy and respect for the frail male ego in
her reflection that "if we keep seeing only men as heads of corporations, it starts to seem 'natural' that
only men should be heads of corporations." In the business world, there are fewer women the further
up you go. This is an inequality that we must all face and rectify. hostile to females? That is why
feminism is important. Any evidence of distress or statement of an unpopular but necessary opinion is
seen as "threatening" or "violent" because women are expected to be meek and mild. Isn't it odd that
assertiveness is considered as a desirable attribute in men but scary and violent for women?
Chimamanda highlights this invisible silencing of women with an example about a friend who didn't
want to speak up because she didn't want to seem forceful. That is why feminism is important.