Feminist & Gender Theory: Complete UGC-NET Guide (Unit 9 - Post-WWII Theory)
Detailed Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction to Feminist & Gender Theory
- 2. Waves of Feminism & Literary Criticism
- 3. Judith Butler's Gender Performativity
- 4. Hélène Cixous' Écriture Féminine
- 5. Luce Irigaray's Speculum & Sexual Difference
- 6. Donna Haraway's Cyborg Feminism
- 7. Queer Theory & Literary Analysis
- 8. Key Concepts & Terminology
- 9. UGC-NET Practice MCQs with Explanations
- 10. Exam Preparation Strategy
Essential Concepts for UGC-NET
- Gender Performativity: Butler's theory of gender as performance
- Écriture Féminine: Cixous' concept of feminine writing
- Speculum: Irigaray's critique of phallocentrism
- Cyborg Manifesto: Haraway's postgender feminism
- Queer Theory: Deconstruction of sexual binaries
- Phallogocentrism: Patriarchal language structures
1. Introduction to Feminist & Gender Theory
Feminist and Gender Theory emerged as transformative approaches in Post-WWII literary studies, challenging patriarchal structures and redefining concepts of gender, sexuality, and representation.
Core Principles of Feminist Theory
- Critique of patriarchal power structures in literature
- Examination of gender as social construct
- Recovery of marginalized women's voices
- Analysis of female subjectivity and experience
- Challenge to traditional gender binaries
Gender Theory Approaches
- Gender as performative rather than essential (Butler)
- Deconstruction of male/female binaries
- Queer readings of literary texts
- Intersectionality of gender with race, class
- Posthuman and cyborg feminism (Haraway)
"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman." - Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex (1949)
2. Waves of Feminism & Literary Criticism
Feminist literary criticism evolved through distinct waves, each with characteristic approaches to textual analysis.
Comparative Analysis of Feminist Waves
| Wave | Period | Key Figures | Literary Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Wave | 1940s-1960s | Woolf, Beauvoir | Women's representation in literature |
| Second-Wave | 1970s-1980s | Showalter, Cixous, Irigaray | Gynocriticism, feminine writing |
| Third-Wave | 1990s-present | Butler, Haraway, Sedgwick | Gender performativity, queer theory |
Elaine Showalter's Gynocriticism
Key aspects of Showalter's approach:
- Feminine Phase: Imitation of dominant male traditions
- Feminist Phase: Protest against male standards
- Female Phase: Search for female identity
- Wild Zone: Space of women's culture
UGC-NET Focus: Showalter's phases of feminist criticism frequently appear in exam questions about feminist literary history.
3. Judith Butler's Gender Performativity
Judith Butler revolutionized gender studies with her theory of performativity in Gender Trouble (1990).
Key Butler Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Literary Application |
|---|---|---|
| Gender Performativity | Gender as repeated performance rather than essence | Analysis of gender roles in characters |
| Heterosexual Matrix | Cultural framework enforcing binary gender | Critique of normative sexuality in texts |
| Subversive Repetition | Disrupting norms through exaggerated performance | Drag as literary metaphor |
| Gender Trouble | Disrupting stable gender categories | Queer readings of canonical texts |
Application to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Butler's theory illuminates:
- Viola's gender performance as Cesario
- Subversion of gender norms through disguise
- Instability of gender identities in the play
- Queer potential in Olivia's attraction to Cesario
"Gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original." - Judith Butler, Gender Trouble
4. Hélène Cixous' Écriture Féminine
Hélène Cixous developed the concept of "feminine writing" in her 1975 essay "The Laugh of the Medusa."
Key Aspects of Écriture Féminine
| Element | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily Writing | Connection to female body and sexuality | Molly Bloom's soliloquy in Ulysses |
| Fluidity | Non-linear, experimental forms | Virginia Woolf's stream-of-consciousness |
| White Ink | Metaphor for mother's milk/writing | Marguerite Duras' narratives |
| Anti-Phallogocentrism | Rejection of masculine logic | Monique Wittig's lesbian writing |
Characteristics of Feminine Writing
- Celebration of female sexuality
- Experimental narrative structures
- Polyphonic voices
- Rejection of binary oppositions
- Emphasis on process over product
UGC-NET Focus: Cixous' concept is often contrasted with Anglo-American feminist criticism in comparative questions.
5. Luce Irigaray's Speculum & Sexual Difference
Luce Irigaray's Speculum of the Other Woman (1974) critiqued Freudian psychoanalysis from a feminist perspective.
Key Irigaray Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Literary Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Speculum | Tool to reveal hidden feminine in philosophy | Critique of male-centered literary canon |
| Phallocentrism | Male-centered symbolic order | Analysis of patriarchal language |
| Mimicry | Strategic exaggeration of feminine role | Subversive female characters |
| Two Lips | Metaphor for feminine multiplicity | Alternative narrative structures |
Application to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre
Irigarayan reading might examine:
- Bertha Mason as specular image of repressed femininity
- Phallocentric structures in Rochester's narration
- Jane's negotiation of feminine identity
- Madwoman in the attic as patriarchal construct
"The feminine occurs only within models and laws devised by male subjects." - Luce Irigaray, Speculum
6. Donna Haraway's Cyborg Feminism
Donna Haraway's A Cyborg Manifesto (1985) proposed a postgender feminism embracing technology.
Key Haraway Concepts
| Concept | Definition | Literary Application |
|---|---|---|
| Cyborg | Hybrid of machine and organism | Posthuman characters in SF |
| Situated Knowledges | Partial, embodied perspectives | Multiple narrative viewpoints |
| Breaking Binaries | Human/animal, physical/non-physical | Hybrid characters in literature |
| Technoculture | Feminist engagement with technology | Cyberpunk and posthuman texts |
Application to Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake
- Genetically modified creatures as cyborgs
- Breakdown of human/animal boundaries
- Technoscientific control of reproduction
- Posthuman vision of future humanity
UGC-NET Focus: Haraway's work often appears in questions about postmodern feminism and science studies.
7. Queer Theory & Literary Analysis
Queer Theory emerged in the 1990s, challenging stable categories of gender and sexuality.
Key Queer Theory Concepts
| Theorist | Concept | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Eve Sedgwick | Homosocial continuum | Male bonds in literature |
| Judith Butler | Performativity | Gender subversion |
| Michael Warner | Heteronormativity | Critique of marriage plots |
| Lee Edelman | Reproductive futurism | Queer resistance |
Queer Reading of Shakespeare's Sonnets
Possible approaches:
- Analysis of homoerotic imagery
- Challenge to heterosexual readings
- Gender fluidity in addressee
- Disruption of procreation theme
"Queer is a continuing moment, movement, motive - recurrent, eddying, troublant." - Eve Sedgwick
8. Key Concepts & Terminology
| Term | Definition | Theorist |
|---|---|---|
| Phallogocentrism | Male-centered language and thought | Irigaray, Cixous |
| Heteronormativity | Presumption of heterosexuality as norm | Warner, Butler |
| Gynocriticism | Study of women's writing | Showalter |
| Intersectionality | Overlapping systems of oppression | Crenshaw |
| Gender Trouble | Disruption of gender norms | Butler |
French Feminism vs. Anglo-American Feminism
| French Feminism | Anglo-American Feminism |
|---|---|
| Psychoanalytic focus | Empirical focus |
| Écriture féminine | Recovery of women writers |
| Cixous, Irigaray, Kristeva | Showalter, Gilbert & Gubar |
| Language-centered | History-centered |
9. UGC-NET Practice MCQs with Explanations
1. The concept of "gender performativity" was introduced by:
- Hélène Cixous
- Judith Butler
- Luce Irigaray
- Donna Haraway
Explanation: Butler developed this theory in Gender Trouble (1990).
2. "Écriture féminine" refers to:
- Male-authored texts about women
- Feminine writing style celebrating female body
- Historical records by women
- Academic feminist criticism
Explanation: Cixous' concept emphasizes bodily, fluid feminine writing.
3. Who wrote Speculum of the Other Woman?
- Julia Kristeva
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Luce Irigaray
- Hélène Cixous
Explanation: Irigaray's 1974 work critiqued Freudian psychoanalysis.
4. The "Cyborg Manifesto" is associated with:
- Judith Butler
- Donna Haraway
- Eve Sedgwick
Explanation: Haraway's 1985 essay proposed postgender feminism.
5. Match the following feminist theorists with their key concepts:
| Theorist | Concept |
|---|---|
| 1. Judith Butler | A. Écriture féminine |
| 2. Hélène Cixous | B. Gender performativity |
| 3. Luce Irigaray | C. Speculum |
- 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
- 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
- 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
- 1-C, 2-B, 3-A
Explanation: Correct matching: Butler-Gender performativity, Cixous-Écriture féminine, Irigaray-Speculum.
10. Exam Preparation Strategy
Feminist and Gender Theory forms a crucial component of UGC-NET's Post-WWII Literary Theory unit.
Key Areas for Focus
- Theorist-Concept Matching: Which ideas belong to which thinkers
- Terminology: Precise definitions of key terms
- Comparative Analysis: Differences between feminist approaches
- Textual Applications: How theories apply to literary works
Memorization Tips
French Feminism (CKI):
- Cixous - Écriture féminine
- Kristeva - Abjection
- Irigaray - Speculum
Gender Theory (BHS):
- Butler - Performativity
- Haraway - Cyborg
- Sedgwick - Queer Theory
Final Revision Checklist
- ✓ Butler's performativity theory
- ✓ Cixous' écriture féminine
- ✓ Irigaray's speculum concept
- ✓ Haraway's cyborg feminism
- ✓ Queer theory applications
"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people." - Cheris Kramarae
About the Author
Dr. Priya Sharma, PhD in English Literature with 12+ years of UGC-NET coaching experience. Former Professor at Delhi University and author of Literary Theory for Competitive Examinations. Specializes in feminist and postmodern literary theories.
