Required Texts:
Josephine Donovan. Feminist Theory: The Intellectual Traditions of American Feminism. Continuum Publishing Group. Paperback. ISBN: 0826406173.
Feminist Literary Criticism: Explorations in Theory. Josephine Donovan (editor). University Press of Kentucky. ISBN: 0813101905
Feminisms: An Anthology of Literary Theory and Criticism. Robyn R. Warhol and Diane price Herndl (editors). Rutgers Univ Press. ISBN: 0813523893
Suggested Novels (chosen in conjunction with OLRs coordinator):
Feminist Literary TheoryMargaret Atwood. The Edible Woman. Anchor Books. ISBN: 0385491069
Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Herland. Pantheon Books. ISBN: 0394736656
Maxine Hong Kingston. The Woman Warrior. Vintage Books. ISBN: 0679721886
Toni Morrison. Beloved. Plume. ISBN: 0452264464
Introduction
Students are required to read Donovan's Feminist Theory: The Intellectual Traditions of American Feminism which serves to introduce the history of the feminist movement. In addition students should purchase either the Donovan or Warhol/Herndl collections of theory and criticism. Both are good: the Donovan collection is short and to the point; the Warhol/Herndle volume is thick and comprehensive. Students reading for 1 credit must select two additional works of literature to analyze from feminist perspectives (agreed upon by the OLRs coordinator); students reading for 2 credits must select four additional works.
When reading each work of literature, as well as theory and criticism, pay attention to the following:
- ways that feminist literary criticism intersects with, or differs from, the agendas of political feminists for social and economic freedom and equality
- the range of feminist critical perspectives including psychoanalytical, Marxist, post-structuralist among many others
- the concepts of gender, ideology, revisionary rereading, gynocriticism, the matriarchate
- the roles of the feminist theoretician and critic
- the roles of the feminist author
- subject matter and literary techniques that lend themselves to feminist writing
- subject matter and literary techniques that lend themselves to phallocentric writing
Main Medieval Drama Romantic Poetry Travel Literature
Stream of Consciousness Feminist Literary Theory
Write the OLR Coordinator