Wednesday, September 7, 2011

What is Feminist Literature and Film? - Clara Boothby

I could define Feminist Literature and Film simply as any work that supports the feminist belief that men and women are equals and must be treated as such. For example, a book may support feminism by presenting strong female characters who match the male characters in strength and aptitude or by exploring the forces in society that prevent women from reaching their full potential.

A question I have is how much the author’s intentions impact whether a work is feminist of not. I’m inclined to say that when a writer or filmmaker created the work with the direct intention of supporting feminism the product is automatically a feminist work. But even works that weren’t created with feminism in mind can still be interpreted as feminist literature or film. Because gender dynamics are embedded in every interaction, so that nearly any work may be analyzed from a feminist standpoint.

1 comment:

  1. Good point -- that feminism and a text in support of it is fundamentally about equality among the genders, and all people.

    ReplyDelete