Patriarchy

Definition

Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold primary power, dominating in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. This system often manifests in cultural norms, practices, and institutions that prioritize male authority and contribute to gender inequality. Patriarchy can deeply influence literature and culture, impacting the representation of women and shaping societal expectations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Patriarchy has been a dominant social system throughout history, influencing laws, traditions, and cultural narratives that perpetuate male dominance.
2. In feminist literary criticism, patriarchy is critiqued for shaping narratives that marginalize women's experiences and voices in literature.
3. Virginia Woolf's work often addresses the constraints of patriarchy on women's creative expression and personal freedom.
4. Simone de Beauvoir explores how patriarchy reduces women to the status of 'the Other,' limiting their identity and autonomy in her seminal text 'The Second Sex.'
5. Hélène Cixous advocates for 'écriture féminine,' a writing style that seeks to subvert patriarchal structures by embracing women's unique perspectives and experiences.

Review Questions

• How does patriarchy influence the representation of women in literature according to feminist literary critics?
  • Feminist literary critics argue that patriarchy shapes the portrayal of women in literature by often relegating them to passive roles or as objects of male desire. This perspective highlights how narratives constructed within a patriarchal framework marginalize women's voices and experiences. Critics like Woolf emphasize the need for women writers to reclaim their narratives to challenge these representations.
• Discuss the ways Virginia Woolf's ideas reflect the impact of patriarchy on women's writing and intellectual freedom.
  • Virginia Woolf's ideas reveal how patriarchy restricts women's opportunities for intellectual growth and creative expression. In works like 'A Room of One's Own,' she argues that women require financial independence and personal space to write authentically. Woolf critiques the societal norms imposed by patriarchy that limit women's access to education and resources, emphasizing the importance of female creativity in breaking free from these constraints.
• Evaluate the significance of Hélène Cixous' concept of 'écriture féminine' in challenging patriarchal structures within literature.
  • Hélène Cixous' concept of 'écriture féminine' plays a crucial role in challenging patriarchal structures by advocating for writing that reflects women's experiences and perspectives. This approach encourages women to write freely without conforming to traditional masculine literary standards. Cixous emphasizes that through this unique form of expression, women can subvert dominant narratives and assert their identities, thus reshaping literature in a way that confronts the limitations imposed by patriarchy.

Related terms

Gender Roles: Socially constructed roles and behaviors typically associated with being male or female in a given society.

Feminism: A movement aimed at defining, establishing, and achieving political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes.

Hegemonic Masculinity: The dominant form of masculinity that is culturally exalted in a patriarchal society, often associated with aggression, control, and power.