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Gowher Ahmad Naik, LPU Unit 28: Elaine Showalter: Four Models of Feminism in “Feminist Criticism in Wilderness”—Psychological...

Unit 28: Elaine Showalter: Four Models of Feminism in Notes
“Feminist Criticism in Wilderness”—Psychological and
Cultural Difference

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
28.1 Women’s Writing and Woman’s Psyche
28.2 Women's Writing and Women's Culture
28.3 Summary
28.4 Key-Words
28.5 Review Questions
28.6 Further Readings

Objectives

After reading this Unit students will be able to:
• Understand Feminist Criticism in Wildersses.
• Discuss Psychological and Cultural Difference.

Introduction
One of America's foremost academic literary scholars, Showalter is renowned for her pioneering
feminist studies of nineteenth- and twentieth-century female authors and her provocative cultural
analysis of women's oppression in the history of psychiatry. In her influential book A Literature
of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontë to Lessing (1977), Showalter advanced a new
form of feminist literary theory under the term "gynocriticism," offering an alternative framework
for the interpretation of women's literary history. Likewise, in works such as The Female Malady:
Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830-1980 (1985) and Hystories: Hysterical Epidemics
and Modern Culture (1997), Showalter forged the branch of feminist criticism known as "history,"
an attempt to reinterpret and redefine the pejorative notion of women's hysteria as embodied in
literary and social history. Showalter's contributions to feminist criticism and women's studies
have helped influence the canon of British and American literature, bringing new visibility and
legitimacy to often forgotten or under-appreciated female authors.
Showalter was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1941 to parents Paul Cottler and Violet
Rottenberg Cottler. Though he never finished grammar school, Showalter's immigrant father was
a successful wool merchant. Showalter's mother completed high school but remained at home in
the role of housewife. Showalter chose to attend Bryn Mawr College against the wishes of her
parents who both disapproved of their daughter's intellectual leanings and educational ambitions.
Showalter has been widely appreciated by critics for her prodigious knowledge, insightful analysis,
and accessible prose. Most feminist literary scholars have lauded her achievement in helping to
legitimize and further develop feminist critique, particularly by reevaluating the social and historical
context within which women's writing is studied. However, some critics have contended that
Showalter's reach often exceeds her grasp, faulting her for raising provocative questions and
presenting a wealth of material without analyzing it, or trying unsuccessfully to force-fit her
usually expansive subject matter into a rigid critical context. Others have criticized Showalter for
omitting or glossing over women writers who do not fit neatly into her thesis or analytical construct.
In addition, some reviewers have objected to Showalter's literary biases, especially in regards to

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