Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandeduncover the role of oedipal phase and fantasyabout genitals.Miller counters Freudian theory showsthat women's un-satisfied desires and dreamsare mainly erotic and shape their texts andplots, at the other side male desires and dreamsare egoistic. Ericsonan perceptions have alsobeen studied by critics like Annis pratt, AnnDouglas and others. Nancy Chodorows "TheReproduction of Mothering" psychoanalysisand the sociology of gender (1978) has atremendous influence on womens studies. Shesays, it is post-oedipal phase that cultural andsocial constructions are imposed on her ofdifferentiation.5. Social and economic conditions:-Viginia woolf is a famous feministwriter she was the first women writer to takeup the sociological dimension of womenwriting she said, "It is more unpleasant to belocked In" This describes her harrowingexperience of being denied entry into theUniversity library as she was a woman and'ladies are only admitted to the library ofaccompanied by a fellow of the college or ifthey come along with the letter ofIntroduction". "A Room of one's own" page 5written by "Virginia Woolf".In India there are some women writerslike Shashi Deshpande, Kamala Markandaya,Anita Desai and host of others who expressedtheir Ideas about the Injustice being done towomen.Anita Desai in her famous novels "Crythe Peacock" (1963), "Voices in the city"(1965), "Bye Bye Black Bird" (1971), "Whereshall we go this summer?" (1975) etc., hasgraphically presented the turbulent psyche ofthe modern Indian Women.We come across political feminism inthe works of Kate Millet, Germaine Greev,Mary Eilman, Sholamith firestone and MicheleBarrett. Her book "Sexual Politics", (1969)vehemently argues that women are in such anintolerable, Subordinate position in thepatriarchal social setup that most of themrepress and deny its existenceShe Writes:-"The phenomenon of Parents" parentalpreferences for male issues is too common torequire such elaboration. In the light of theimminent possibility of parents actuallychoosing sex of their child, such a tendency isbecoming the cause of some concern inscientific circles.Kate Millet, sexual politics, London:Rupert Hart Davis, 1971,56-57. GermaineGreev, too, belongs to the same brand ofmilitant feminism, and goes to the extent ofsaying that "If women are to affect a significatamelioration in their condition it seemsobvious that they must refuse to marry.Gemaine Greev in her "The femaleEunuch". St Alabama:Paladin, 1976,319.Elaine Showalter also made contribution infeminist movement specially in the area ofGynocriticism. Her essay "towards feministpoetics" describes two types of feministcriticism "with women as a reader", as theconsumer of male produced literature and"woman as a writer", producer of textualmeaning.Mary Ellman in her work "thinkingabout women" attacks phallic criticism. Shemocks at Walter Paters phrase of "Manliness inart" she draws our attention to women whocelebrate the subtle joys of femaleindependence.In India, the Trio-Mulk Raj Anand,RK Narayan and Raja Rao did not pay muchattention to woman emancipation, Narayansportrayal of woman characters ranges frommeek and submissive wife like in "the financialexport" and "Savitri" to radical women likeDaisy in "the painter of signs" etc. In RajaRao's novels woman character suffers fromdomestic injustice and tyrannical tradition etc.,like we have the role of savitri in "the serpentand the rope".Thus male writers owing tomisconception about or ignorance of thewoman in general have failed to give honest orreal portrayal of their woman characters. Theyhave either expressed their weakness and drawbacks , or placed her on a high pedestal anddefied it like in Bhabani Bhattacharyasportrayal of woman is too optimistic likeKajoli in "So many Hungers"/undergoes345 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1