Wuthering Heights: A Feminist Reading? (1 Viewer)

[ameh]

Ok so I have an assessment coming up soon, and I have to discuss how WH generates a feminist reading.

Anyone can help me or point me in a helpful direction? :uhhuh:

I'd be gratefelt for any help =)

 

[*sarah*]

Check out the reading of Gilbert and Gubar from "The Madwoman in the Attic"
Basically they suggest ideas along the lines of:

Cathys lack of identity

Cathy is a victim of patriarchal society

Cathy punishes herself to gain power

Reversal of gender roles

U'd obviously have to find examples of this from the text - its not too hard if you think about it carefully!

 

[Jennibeans]

Nelly is a good example to use as well. Because narration passes from Lockwood to Nelly Lockwood effectively legitimizes Nelly's voice. Even though Nelly is female and from a low social class the story is told from her perspective and it is she who shapes our perceptions.
Also link this to what was happening at the time, how women were perceived at the time, the fact that Bronte wrote under a male pseudonym etc

 

[HQ_BUDDY]

its just a feminist critcal analysis. there should be lots of information out there to help you with critical analysis's and hwo to do some good ones. The feminist analysis is one of the most easiet ones. You just have to look at how females are seen/percieved in the text relating to society and cultures. thats a basic one but you can elaborate on that.
hope that helped.

 

[Lorie]

yeha i agree that the feminist reading is one of the easiest, i used it, as well as a few other approaches. u can look at it in so many different ways.

look at Catherines marriage to Edgar, instead of Healthcliff. From a feminst point of view, this is the male dominated society forcing catherine to go against her true desires, being her love for Healthcliff, for the status of being Edgars wife.

Also, the example of womens struggle in the setting of the novel is the legal constraints reguarding inhertiance and property ownership. The way in which Healthcliff exploits this discrimination through his marriage to Isabella in order to become to the heir to Thrustcross Grunge.