Useful Critical Anthology Quotes
Feminism
“phallocentric nature of much literature”
“in terms of power, acts that we usually think of as completely private turn out to be
an extension of the public sphere.”
“the private and the public cannot be seen as wholly separate – on the contrary,
they are intimately linked.”
Women in literature are frequently “familiar cultural stereotypes” such as:
o “an immoral and dangerous seductress”
o “eternally dissatisfied shrew”
o “woman as cute but essentially helpless”
o “unworldly, self-sacrificing angel.”
“These characters were constructions, put together – not necessarily by the writers
who presented them themselves, but by the culture they belong to’ to ensure ‘the
continued social and cultural domination of males.”
“Female independence gets a strongly negative connotation” – VIOLA/OLIVIA
“Helplessness and renouncing all ambition and desire are presented as endearing
and admirable.”
“Dependence leads to indulgement and reverence while independence leads to
dislike and rejection.”
o Leads to a “perpetuation of the unequal power relations between men and
women.”
Gender is a “cultural construction,” masculinity with connotations of “strength,
rationality, stoicism and self-reliance.”
“Although homosexuals are male they are often portrayed as feminine, that is as
lacking masculinity.”
“A masculine gendering is supposed to evoke positive connotations, a feminine
gendering is supposed to evoke negative ones.”
Marxism
“literature is the product of the writer’s own class and cultural values and that
literary texts are themselves products of a particular ideology.”
“[Men’s] social existence […] determines their consciousness.”
“the way we experience the world around us are either wholly or largely conditioned
by the way the economy is organised.”
“thought is subservient to, and follows, the material conditions under which it
develops.”
“Minds aren’t free at all, they only think they are.” -> NORA
“Capitalism, Marxism tells us, thrives on exploiting its labourers.”
Feminism
“phallocentric nature of much literature”
“in terms of power, acts that we usually think of as completely private turn out to be
an extension of the public sphere.”
“the private and the public cannot be seen as wholly separate – on the contrary,
they are intimately linked.”
Women in literature are frequently “familiar cultural stereotypes” such as:
o “an immoral and dangerous seductress”
o “eternally dissatisfied shrew”
o “woman as cute but essentially helpless”
o “unworldly, self-sacrificing angel.”
“These characters were constructions, put together – not necessarily by the writers
who presented them themselves, but by the culture they belong to’ to ensure ‘the
continued social and cultural domination of males.”
“Female independence gets a strongly negative connotation” – VIOLA/OLIVIA
“Helplessness and renouncing all ambition and desire are presented as endearing
and admirable.”
“Dependence leads to indulgement and reverence while independence leads to
dislike and rejection.”
o Leads to a “perpetuation of the unequal power relations between men and
women.”
Gender is a “cultural construction,” masculinity with connotations of “strength,
rationality, stoicism and self-reliance.”
“Although homosexuals are male they are often portrayed as feminine, that is as
lacking masculinity.”
“A masculine gendering is supposed to evoke positive connotations, a feminine
gendering is supposed to evoke negative ones.”
Marxism
“literature is the product of the writer’s own class and cultural values and that
literary texts are themselves products of a particular ideology.”
“[Men’s] social existence […] determines their consciousness.”
“the way we experience the world around us are either wholly or largely conditioned
by the way the economy is organised.”
“thought is subservient to, and follows, the material conditions under which it
develops.”
“Minds aren’t free at all, they only think they are.” -> NORA
“Capitalism, Marxism tells us, thrives on exploiting its labourers.”
