Toward a Feminist Poetics

'Toward a Feminist Poetics' is a groundbreaking essay by Elaine Showalter. The essay was
first presented in 1978 as an introductory lecture on the first series on literature and women
at University of Oxford. It was published in 1979. This seminal essay examines and questions
the relationship between feminist literary theory and criticism, and the conventional literary
theories. It is in 'Toward a Feminist Poetics' that Showalter first develops and coins the term
"gynocriticism".

Showalter observes that feminist criticism suffers prejudice and attacks because it lacks a
clearly articulated theory. Even feminist critics are unaware what they mean to defend and
profess. Showalter is concerned by stereotypes of feminism that see feminist critics as being
‘obsessed with the phallus’ and ‘obsessed with destroying male artists’. Showalter
wonders if such stereotypes emerge from the fact that feminism lacks a fully articulated
theory.

In order to set the stage for her exploration of feminist poetics, Showalter begins by
acknowledging the growth and impact of feminist literary criticism, which emerged in the
1960s and 1970s as part of the broader women's liberation movement. Showalter
recognizes that feminist critics sought to challenge the male-dominated literary canon and
to uncover the ways in which literature has historically marginalized and misrepresented
women.

The Feminist Critique

The first major section of the essay delves into the feminist critique. Showalter argues that
analyzing literature by male authors is crucial for understanding how women have been
portrayed and represented throughout literary history. The feminist critique aims to expose
the ways in which male writers have perpetuated stereotypes and reinforced patriarchal
norms. By examining the portrayal of women in male-authored texts, feminist critics can
challenge and subvert these representations.

Showalter highlights the importance of studying the social, political, and psychological roles
assigned to women in literature. She notes that male writers often depict women as passive,
subordinate, and dependent on men. These portrayals reinforce traditional gender roles and
contribute to the marginalization of women. The feminist critique seeks to uncover these
biases and to advocate for more accurate and nuanced representations of women.

Showalter also discusses the significance of examining the literary canon and its exclusion of
women writers. She argues that the canon has traditionally been dominated by male
authors, and women's contributions to literature have been overlooked or undervalued. The
feminist critique aims to rectify this imbalance by advocating for the inclusion of women
writers in the canon and recognizing their importance in literary history.
Gynocritics

This approach seeks to understand women's experiences, perspectives, and creativity.

Gynocritics aims to uncover the specificities of women's writing and to develop a critical
framework that appreciates their unique voices.

Showalter emphasizes the importance of recognizing women's contributions to literature

and developing a critical framework that appreciates their unique voices. She argues that
women's writing often emerged in the context of social constraints and marginalization. By
examining the female tradition, gynocritics seeks to reclaim and celebrate the achievements
of women writers who have been overlooked or undervalued.

Showalter discusses the concept of a "female literary tradition," which she defines as a body
of literature by women that has evolved over time. She argues that this tradition is distinct
from the male literary tradition and deserves to be studied and appreciated on its own
terms. Gynocritics aims to uncover the themes, styles, and genres that are distinctively
female and to understand how women writers have expressed their experiences and
perspectives through literature.

Showalter also addresses the challenges women writers have faced throughout history. She
notes that women writers often had to navigate social constraints and marginalization in
order to pursue their literary careers. Gynocritics seeks to understand these challenges and
to recognize the resilience and creativity of women writers in the face of adversity.

 The psychodynamics or the behaviour of creativity as shown by females.

 Aspects of female language and problems concerned with it.
 Career in the female literary field.
 Literary history.
 Analysis of female writers and their works.

The Female Tradition

Showalter traces the evolution of women's writing and highlights the challenges women
writers have faced throughout history.

Showalter identifies three distinct phases in the history of women's writing: the Feminine
Phase, the Feminist Phase, and the Female Phase.

The Feminine Phase, she explains, is characterized by women writers imitating the dominant
male literary tradition. In this phase, women often adopted pseudonyms or wrote
anonymously in order to gain acceptance and recognition. Showalter notes that many
women writers in this phase sought to prove that they could write as well as men and to
gain entry into the male-dominated literary canon.
The Feminist Phase, according to Showalter, is marked by women writers beginning to
protest against male standards and to advocate for social, political, and literary rights. In this
phase, women writers became more conscious of their own marginalization and sought to
challenge the patriarchal norms that had excluded them from the literary canon. Showalter
highlights the significance of this phase in the development of feminist literary criticism, as
women writers began to assert their own voices and to demand recognition and equality.

The Female Phase, Showalter argues, represents a new stage in the evolution of women's
writing. In this phase, women writers developed an autonomous literary tradition that
embraced their own experiences and perspectives. Showalter emphasizes that the Female
Phase is characterized by a greater sense of self-awareness and self-confidence among
women writers, as they began to assert their own identities and to celebrate their unique
voices.

Conclusion

In the conclusion, Showalter reiterates the importance of developing a feminist poetics that
integrates both the feminist critique and gynocritics. She calls for a balanced approach that
recognizes the importance of analyzing male-authored texts while also celebrating and
promoting women's writing. Showalter envisions a future where feminist literary criticism
contributes to a more inclusive and equitable literary canon.

Showalter emphasizes that feminist literary criticism should not be limited to one approach
or perspective. Instead, it should be a dynamic and evolving field that embraces multiple
methodologies and viewpoints. She argues that a feminist poetics should be inclusive and
open to diverse voices and experiences, and that it should seek to challenge and subvert
traditional literary norms.

Showalter concludes by highlighting the potential of feminist literary criticism to transform

the literary canon and to create a more inclusive and equitable literary landscape. She
envisions a future where women's writing is recognized and celebrated on its own terms,
and where feminist literary criticism plays a central role in shaping the literary discourse.

About the Author (READ)

Elaine Showalter (born January 21, 1941) is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer
on cultural and social issues. She is one of the founders of feminist literary criticism in United
States academia, developing the concept and practice of gynocritics.

She is well known and respected in both academic and popular cultural fields. She has
written and edited numerous books and articles focused on a variety of subjects, from
feminist literary criticism to fashion, sometimes sparking widespread controversy, especially
with her work on illnesses. Showalter has been a television critic for People magazine and a
commentator on BBC radio and television.

Showalter is a specialist in Victorian literature and the Fin-de-Siecle (turn of the 19th
century). Her most innovative work in this field is in madness and hysteria in literature,
specifically in women’s writing and in the portrayal of female characters.

Showalter's best-known works are Toward a Feminist Poetics (1979), The Female Malady:
Women, Madness, and English Culture (1830–1980) (1985), Sexual Anarchy: Gender at
Culture at the Fin de Siecle (1990), Hystories: Hysterical Epidemics and Modern
Media (1997), and Inventing Herself: Claiming a Feminist Intellectual Heritage (2001). In
2007 Showalter was chair of the judges for the prestigious British literary award, the Man
Booker International Prize.