"I'm not a feminist because I'm not a victim."
"I'm not a feminist because I don't hate men." "I'm not a feminist because I actually enjoy having doors opened for me / like to cook / shave my legs." Like Tyson, I'm going to start this take on Feminist Criticism by encouraging you to avoid preconceptions on what it actually is, and not to decide to reject it because we have "reduced feminism to whatever we consider its most objectionable element and, on that basis, rejected it" (83). [A commitment to avoiding over-simplification will actually benefit you in nearly every aspect of this class. TAKE NOTE!] As you read through this essay, read interactively. Try to tie concepts to literary and real-life examples. Get comfortable with the terms. Take note of the different "feminisms" that are talked about. |