How did feminist critics develop gender-based approaches to literature?

Feminist literary criticism developed as a vital academic and theoretical movement, particularly gaining momentum during the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s. It emerged from a broader intellectual effort to challenge traditional, patriarchal structures that had long marginalized women’s voices and experiences.12

Key developments in this field include:

• Foundational Theory: Early modern feminist thought was anchored by Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949), which critiqued the societal construction of womanhood. This was followed by influential works like Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963), which exposed systemic discrimination.2
• Gynocritics: Elaine Showalter pioneered "gynocritics," a framework specifically dedicated to studying women as writers, focusing on the history, themes, and structures of literature produced by women.3
• Contextual Analysis: By the 1980s, feminist critics began moving away from ahistorical analysis. They adopted methods similar to New Historicism, examining how literature reflects the patriarchal power dynamics, marriage customs, and family structures of its time.4
• Intersectionality: Recognizing that the movement was initially dominated by white, middle-class perspectives, Black feminist writers like bell hooks and Audre Lorde expanded the field by addressing the overlapping oppressions of race, class, and gender.1

These approaches collectively transformed literary studies by centering gender as a critical lens for understanding cultural production.4