Reimagining the Canon: Feminist Interventions in Literary Studies

    Feminism has significantly transformed the field of literary studies by challenging traditional narratives and introducing gender as a central category of analysis. Early feminist critics questioned the exclusion of women from the literary canon and the portrayal of female characters in works by male authors. Foundational texts like Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own emphasized the systemic barriers that hindered women’s creative expression. By interrogating the patriarchal structures embedded in literature, feminist scholars began to reclaim and reassess texts by women writers.

    During the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s, literary criticism focused on the unique experiences and styles of women authors. Pioneered by critics like Elaine Showalter, this approach sought to understand the female literary tradition on its terms rather than through the lens of male norms. Simultaneously, critics like Kate Millett and Sandra Gilbert exposed the implicit misogyny in canonical texts, revealing how literature could reinforce societal power structures. 

    In recent decades, feminist literary criticism has embraced intersectionality, recognizing the complex interplay of gender, race, class, and sexuality in literature. Scholars such as bell hooks have pushed the field to move beyond Western-centric frameworks and to incorporate diverse global voices. The evolution of feminist thought has expanded the scope of literary inquiry to include postcolonial, queer, and ecological perspectives, reflecting the multifaceted nature of identity and oppression. Through this ongoing transformation, feminism continues to deepen the understanding of literature as both a product of culture and a means of cultural critique.

Lect. Zena Dhia Mohammed