**Michel Foucault - Contemporary Literary Theories (Simplified Summary)**

Michel Foucault was a post-structuralist critic. He studied authority, power, and how they control
people. Foucault wrote *Discipline and Punish: The Birth of a Prison*, where he explored the
history of punishment in Western Europe.

**Key Points of Foucault's Ideas:**

1. **Punishment History:**
- Before the 18th century: Public executions, torture, and physical punishment.
- After the 18th century: Modern punishment systems used prisons with long-term
imprisonment, combining physical and psychological control.

2. **Modern Control:**
- Punishment now affects both the body and mind. Psychological power is used to maintain
discipline in society.

3. **Panopticon (All-Seeing Tower):**

- A concept by Jeremy Bentham (1791). A circular prison where prisoners are watched from a
central tower.
- Prisoners never know when they are being watched, so they always feel observed.
- This creates **self-discipline** and **psychological control**.

4. **"Gaze" as Power:**
- The one who watches (gazer) has power. The visible person feels controlled.
- Example: Cameras in streets make people behave because they feel watched.

5. **Control Beyond Prisons:**

- Schools, hospitals, and other institutions use similar control methods.
- People follow rules because they fear punishment, even without direct observation.

6. **Effects of Surveillance:**
- **Dynamic normalization:** People lose individuality and act the same, fearing punishment.
- **Docile bodies:** People become submissive, shaped by power, and conform to social
expectations.

**Example:**
In George Orwell’s *1984*, the government constantly watches people (Big Brother). People
lose freedom and follow the rules because of fear.

Foucault showed how power systems control and change people’s behavior through constant
surveillance and discipline.

**Michael Foucault -
Michael Foucault talks about authority and control. He says rules and power are used to control
people. His ideas help us see how control works in society.

1. **Punishment and Discipline:**

- In the past, punishment was physical, like torture and public executions.
- Now, punishment is psychological, like prison and the loss of freedom. It controls the mind
more than the body.

2. **Panopticon:**
- The Panopticon is a prison design by Jeremy Bentham. It is round, with a tower in the middle.
- Prisoners cannot see if someone is watching them, so they feel watched all the time. This
makes them behave.
- Foucault says this is how modern societies control people—through constant surveillance.

3. **Surveillance and Power:**

- Cameras, like CCTV, work like the Panopticon. People think they are being watched, so they
follow rules.
- This control makes people act the same, which Foucault calls "dynamic normalization." It
stops free thinking and individuality.

4. **Docile Bodies:**
- Foucault says people become "docile bodies," meaning they obey rules without question.
They lose freedom and become controlled by society.

**Examples:**
- In *1984* by George Orwell, the government watches people all the time. Big Brother, the
leader, uses surveillance to control everyone. People are afraid and follow the rules.
- In *The Handmaid's Tale*, women live under strict control and surveillance. They lose freedom
and must follow the system.
- Post-colonial literature shows how colonizers controlled the colonized through surveillance and
rules.

Foucault’s ideas help us understand how power works today, not only in prisons but also in
schools, hospitals, and even social media, like YouTube algorithms. These systems make people
follow rules and stop thinking for themselves.
Feminism

Feminism is about equality and criticizes male dominance (patriarchy). It fights against unfair
treatment of women and challenges traditional gender roles. Feminism is also against all types
of inequality, not just between men and women.

1. **Main Ideas of Feminism:**

- Feminism criticizes unfair gender roles and wants equality.
- It opposes ideas that men are naturally better (biological essentialism).
 - It shows how society uses gender roles to keep women in a lower position.
- Feminism says that both men and women should celebrate their differences, but not use
them to create inequality.

2. **Key Terms:**
- **Sex:** Biological differences (male or female).
- **Gender:** Cultural roles (masculine or feminine).
- **Phallocentric thinking:** Male-centered ideas that feminism opposes.

3. **Important Works and Figures:**

- **Christine de Pisan:** Wrote *Epistre au Dieu D’amours*, criticizing biased views of women.
- **Mary Wollstonecraft:** Wrote *A Vindication of the Rights of Women*, saying women
should define themselves.
- **Charles Fourier:** Introduced the word "feminism" and argued for women’s freedom from
inequality.

4. **Feminist Writers and Works:**

- **Virginia Woolf:** In her essay *A Room of One’s Own*, she said women need money and
freedom to express themselves. She showed how society limited women’s creativity and
opportunities.
- **Doris Lessing:** In *To Room Nineteen*, she showed how women are oppressed in
marriage and society.
- **Simone de Beauvoir:** In *The Second Sex*, she said gender is not biological but created
by society. She encouraged women to define themselves.

5. **Modern Feminism:**
- The Women’s Movement in the 1960s brought new awareness.
- **Betty Friedan:** In *The Feminine Mystique*, she criticized how patriarchy limited
women’s choices and creativity. She said women should not feel guilty for wanting more in life.

**Key Message:** Feminism fights for women’s rights and equality in all areas of life. It
challenges unfair systems and wants freedom for women to define themselves and live without
limits.
Elaine Showalter & Kate Millett -

Feminism in literature shows how women are treated unfairly and how literature can create
awareness about this.

### **Key Ideas:**

- **Kate Millett:**
- Challenged male and female roles in literature.
- In *Sexual Politics*, she criticized how male writers show sexual relations unfairly.
- Said that gender (how people act as men or women) is created by society, not biology.
- **Elaine Showalter:**
- Introduced "gynocriticism," the study of literature written by women.
- Wrote *A Literature of Their Own*, showing three phases of female writers:
1. **Feminine Phase (1840–1880):** Women imitated male writers to gain acceptance.
2. **Feminist Phase (1880–1920):** Women criticized male dominance and the unfair
treatment of women.
3. **Female Phase (1920–present):** Women focused on their own experiences and rejected
male standards.
- In *Towards a Feminist Poetics*, she called for a framework to analyze women’s literature
based on female experience, not male models.

### **Gynocriticism:**
- **Biological:** Focus on the female body.
- **Linguistic:** Need for female writing style.
- **Psychoanalytic:** Study of the female mind.
- **Cultural:** Study of how society shapes women’s goals.

*Key Works and Theories:**

- **The Mad Woman in the Attic** by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar:
- Male writers give women limited roles, like "angel" or "monster."
- Women need to express their own voices, not copy male styles.

- **Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema** by Laura Mulvey:

- Hollywood films objectify women through the "male gaze."
- Men are shown as viewers, and women are objects of pleasure.

### **Key Messages:**

- Women are not incomplete or inferior.
- Women’s experiences and creativity must be valued.
- Feminism criticizes how society and literature limit women’s roles and identities.
**French Feminism -

### **Main Ideas**

French feminism focuses on language and society to challenge male dominance. Important
figures like Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray, and Julia Kristeva studied how patriarchy (male power)
shapes identity and writing.

---

### **Key Points**

1. **Language and Patriarchy**:

- Language helps keep male dominance in place.
- Feminists say women can find freedom by creating their own way of using language.
2. **Psychoanalysis**:
- French feminists use ideas from Freud and Lacan to understand how patriarchy affects
women’s creativity.
- Identity is shaped by society, not just biology.

3. **Julia Kristeva**:
- **Semiotic (imaginary):** Before a child understands gender, everything feels free and
connected.
- **Symbolic (structured):** As the child grows, society and rules (controlled by men) take
over.
- She says "feminine" cannot have one definition because every woman is different.

4. **Hélène Cixous and Écriture Féminine (Female Writing)**:

- Women should write to express themselves and resist male control in language.
- Female writing is creative, full of gaps, silences, and new ideas.
- She says women’s writing should challenge traditional ways of thinking.

5. **Luce Irigaray**:
- Women live in a world defined by men’s needs and fears.
- Women’s writing and experiences are more diverse and complex than male systems allow.
- She says women are not “one” thing but many things.

---

### **Messages**
- Women must create their own way of writing and speaking.
- Women’s voices have been silenced, but writing can help them resist patriarchy.
- Feminine language should break away from male rules and celebrate women’s diversity.

French feminism focuses on fighting stereotypes and showing that women are not defined by
men or one fixed idea.
**Third Wave Feminism: A Simple Summary**

**Semiotic and Symbolic Features**

- **Semiotic**: This stage is before language. It shows closeness to the mother and feelings
without boundaries, like a child before knowing language. It's chaotic, emotional, and connected
to the body.
- **Symbolic**: This stage happens when a child learns language and becomes part of society. It
is structured, logical, and controlled by patriarchy (father's authority). Desires and emotions are
repressed here.

**Semiotic vs. Symbolic**:

- Semiotic relates to femininity, creativity, and maternal closeness.
- Symbolic relates to patriarchy, order, and male authority.
- Feminists want to deconstruct the symbolic order to express female voices and creativity,
which are often repressed.

**Ecriture Féminine (Female Writing)**

- **Julia Kristeva**: Believes creativity in art and literature can show semiotic features and
challenge patriarchy.
- **Hélène Cixous**: Encourages women to write in their unique voices, not imitating
patriarchal styles. Women should reconnect with their bodies and express their true selves.
- **Luce Irigaray**: Focuses on how patriarchal language limits women, reducing them to
passive objects. Women should celebrate their diversity and individuality, moving beyond binary
systems like "male vs. female."

**Third Wave Feminism (1990s)**

- Includes gender, race, class, sexuality, and other identity factors (intersectionality).
- **Rebecca Walker**: Expanded feminism to include non-white women and marginalized
groups. Feminism is about equality for everyone, not just for certain groups.
- Women should define their identity in their own voices, free from patriarchal rules or
stereotypes.

**Key Ideas of Feminism**

- **Deconstruction**: Feminists use this method to reveal that gender roles and stereotypes are
created by society, not natural.
- **Patriarchal Gaze**: Women are often seen as objects for male desires and control. Feminism
challenges this power dynamic.
- **Representation**: Society, through media and literature, often portrays women in extreme
roles: perfect mothers or evil figures. Feminists criticize these stereotypes and celebrate
women’s differences.

Feminism seeks to create equality by breaking down patriarchal systems, redefining language,
and celebrating diversity. Women are not one group—they are many, and their voices should
reflect this.
Feminism and Traditional Fairy Tales: Summary
This lecture looks at traditional fairy tales, particularly Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, to
explore how they represent gender roles and their connection to feminist critiques of patriarchy.
Why Are Fairy Tales Criticized in Feminism?
Fairy tales strongly influence children and often show gender stereotypes. These stereotypes
are:
• Women are usually shown as young, beautiful, and in need of help. They are passive,
nurturing, and focused on beauty.
• Men are shown as strong, brave, and the ones who rescue women. They solve problems
and control situations.
These portrayals support patriarchal ideas where men are in power, and women have limited
roles.
Gender Roles in Fairy Tales
• Women are often stuck in domestic roles like cooking and cleaning. They are seen as
objects of desire, valued only for their looks and passivity.
• Men are strong and brave, doing difficult tasks and saving women from trouble. They
control the fate of women.
Key Themes in Fairy Tales Related to Feminism
• Marriage as the Goal: In many fairy tales, the story ends with marriage, which is shown
as the ultimate goal for women. This reinforces patriarchal values, where women’s
choices are often ignored.
• Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are examples where the men decide to marry
the women, even when they are unconscious or asleep, showing women’s lack of
control over their lives.
• Patriarchy and the Kingdom: Fairy tales often show kingdoms as symbols of patriarchal
systems, where the power structure depends on men and traditional gender roles.
Feminist Critique of Fairy Tales
• Male Gaze: Women are often shown as objects of male desire, with little agency. In
Snow White, her beauty is on display even after death, and in Sleeping Beauty, the
Princess’s passive sleep is controlled by a kiss from a Prince.
• Stereotypical Roles: Even minor characters, like the dwarfs in Snow White, reflect
patriarchal roles. Women do the household chores, while men do physical work,
reflecting traditional gender roles in society.
• Angel in the House Ideal: Women are often seen as caretakers who exist to serve men.
Fairy tales support this idea by showing women as selfless and submissive.
Broader Implications of Feminist Analysis
• Patriarchal Ideology: Fairy tales reflect the values of their time, supporting patriarchy
and portraying women as dependent on men.
• Binary Oppositions: Fairy tales often present strict roles for men and women, reinforcing
the idea that men are powerful and women are subordinate.
Analysis of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty
• In Snow White, the dwarfs expect Snow White to cook and clean for them. This shows
how women are expected to serve men, even in difficult situations. The glass coffin in
Snow White symbolizes how women’s bodies are objectified by men.
• In Sleeping Beauty, the Princess’s sleep represents her passivity, and the Prince’s kiss
shows male control over her life.
Feminist Criticism of Snow White
• Snow White is depicted as a passive, domestic figure, reinforcing patriarchy and showing
that women’s lives are controlled by men’s decisions.
• Her value is based on her looks, and she is treated as an object for male pleasure.
Contemporary Adaptations
Some modern fairy tales challenge traditional gender roles:
• In modern versions, like Shrek 2 and Frozen, female characters are shown as active
decision-makers and independent.
• Shrek 2 shows princesses escaping the tower together. Frozen has Elsa rejecting the idea
of traditional romance and trusting herself instead.
Witches vs. Angels
Traditional fairy tales often show women as either “good” angels or “evil” witches. Modern
stories challenge this simple good-versus-evil approach, giving more depth and voice to women
characters.
Feminism and Deconstruction
Feminism uses deconstruction to break down traditional roles in fairy tales and create new
stories where women have more power and agency.
Conclusion
Fairy tales often promote patriarchal values by showing rigid gender roles, where men are
powerful and women are submissive. Feminist critiques help us rethink these stories and
consider how they affect our understanding of gender today.