Elaine Showalter: “Towards A Feminist Poetics”- A Pioneer in Feminist Literary Criticism
Introduction to the Author:
Elaine Showalter (born January 21, 1941) is an American literary critic, feminist scholar, and writer, best known for her contributions to feminist literary theory. Her work has been instrumental in shaping the study of women’s literature and gender in literature.
Background & Education:
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Showalter earned her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, M.A. from Brandeis University, and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis.
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She specialized in Victorian literature but later expanded her focus to women’s writing, feminist theory, and cultural studies.
Major Contributions:
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Feminist Literary Criticism:
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Showalter introduced gynocriticism, a framework for studying women’s writing as a unique literary tradition.
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She argued that women’s literature should be analyzed through its own historical and social context, rather than through male literary standards.
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Phases of Women’s Writing:
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In “Towards a Feminist Poetics” (1978), she classified the development of women’s literature into three phases—Feminine, Feminist, and Female.
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Books & Works:
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A Literature of Their Own (1977) – Examines the history of British women writers.
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The Female Malady (1985) – Analyzes how psychiatry and literature portray women’s mental health.
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Sexual Anarchy (1990) – Explores gender and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries.
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Hystories (1997) – Investigates hysteria in literature and popular culture.
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Legacy:
Elaine Showalter remains a key figure in feminist criticism. She advocates for women’s voices in literature, and her theories continue to influence feminist literary studies and cultural criticism today.
Historical Background of “Towards a Feminist Poetics”
Elaine Showalter’s essay “Towards a Feminist Poetics” (1978) was written when feminist literary criticism emerged as a field of study. To understand its significance, we must look at the broader historical and intellectual context in which it was developed.
Demolition of Male-Oriented Structures in “Towards a Feminist Poetics”
Elaine Showalter’s essay “Towards a Feminist Poetics” critiques the male-dominated literary tradition and proposes an alternative approach that centers on women’s experiences, voices, and narratives. She argues that feminist criticism must go beyond analyzing how men depict women and instead focus on creating a literary framework that prioritizes women’s writing.
1. Critique of Male-Oriented Literary Structures
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Traditional literary criticism has been shaped by male perspectives, often marginalizing women’s writing or treating it as secondary.
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Women’s literature has been judged by male-defined standards, making it difficult for female authors to be recognized on their own terms.
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The Western literary canon, dominated by male writers like Shakespeare, Milton, and Joyce, has historically excluded or undervalued female voices.
2. Shift from “Feminist Critique” to “Gynocriticism”
Showalter challenges feminist critique and examines how men portray women in literature. Instead, she introduces gynocriticism, which aims to:
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Establish a women-centered literary tradition.
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Study female authors’ experiences, themes, and stylistic choices.
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Forming a reactionary approach (analyzing how men depict women) to women’s creativity.
By doing this, she demolishes male literary structures that define women’s writing as merely an extension of male literature.
3. The Need for a Women-Centered Literary Theory
Showalter calls for a new literary framework that:
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Recognizes women’s unique literary voices.
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Examines how women’s social, historical, and psychological realities shape their writing.
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Explores whether women’s writing follows distinct narrative patterns, themes, or linguistic structures.
This approach rejects male-oriented structures that:
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Dismiss women’s literature as inferior or sentimental.
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Fail to acknowledge women’s struggles and contributions to literature.
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Enforce rigid literary forms that do not accommodate female expression.
4. The Three Phases of Women’s Writing as a Response to Male Structures
Showalter’s three phases of women’s writing illustrate how women have historically responded to male-dominated literary traditions:
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Feminine Phase (1840–1880): Women writers imitated male literary forms to gain acceptance.
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Feminist Phase (1880–1920): Women actively challenged male structures and demanded equality.
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Female Phase (1920–Present): Women created their literary traditions, breaking free from male norms.
By identifying these phases, Showalter exposes how male-oriented structures have constrained women’s literary development and demonstrates how female authors have worked to dismantle these constraints.
5. Conclusion: Towards a New Literary Paradigm
Elaine Showalter’s feminist poetics calls for:
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The recognition of women’s literature as an independent field.
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The removal of male-dominated literary standards.
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The promotion of women’s voices, experiences, and literary traditions.
1. The Rise of Feminist Movements (19th–20th Century)
The feminist movement played a crucial role in shaping feminist literary criticism:
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First-Wave Feminism (19th–early 20th century):
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Focused on women’s legal and political rights, especially voting rights (suffrage).
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Mary Wollstonecraft 
Virginia Woolf Writers like Mary Wollstonecraft (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792) and Virginia Woolf (A Room of One’s Own, 1929) influenced feminist thought on education and literature.
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Second-Wave Feminism (1960s–1980s):
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Addressed social, cultural, and economic inequalities, including gender roles and sexuality.
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Writers like Simone de Beauvoir (The Second Sex, 1949) and Betty Friedan (The Feminine Mystique, 1963) questioned patriarchal narratives in literature.
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Feminist literary critics started analyzing women’s representation in literature.
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2. The Emergence of Feminist Literary Criticism (1960s–1970s)
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In the 1960s, scholars began questioning the male-dominated literary canon.
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Early feminist critics, like Kate Millett (Sexual Politics, 1970) and Germaine Greer (The Female Eunuch, 1970), analyzed how literature reinforced gender stereotypes.
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Showalter’s Contribution:
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She shifted focus from analyzing women’s portrayal in men’s works (Feminist Critique) to developing a distinct framework for studying women’s literature (Gynocriticism).
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“Towards a Feminist Poetics” laid out a systematic theory for studying women writers.
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3. The Changing Literary Landscape
During this period:
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More women’s works were rediscovered and reevaluated.
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Women writers began to challenge traditional literary norms.
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Universities introduced feminist literary studies as a formal academic discipline.
Key Ideas in the Essay:
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Two Modes of Feminist Criticism:
Showalter identifies two major approaches:-
Feminist Critique: Examines how women are portrayed in male-authored texts.
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Gynocriticism: Focuses on women as writers, studying their themes, genres, and styles.
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Phases of Women’s Writing:
Showalter categorizes the evolution of women’s literature into three phases:-
The Feminine Phase (1840–1880): Women writers imitated male forms, often using pseudonyms.
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The Feminist Phase (1880–1920): Women became more radical, demanding equal rights and questioning patriarchal norms.
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The Female Phase (1920–present): Women moved beyond the struggle against patriarchy to focus on their own experiences and voices.
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Gynocriticism as an Alternative:
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Showalter argues that feminist critics should not just analyze women’s portrayal in male texts but should study women’s literature as a separate tradition.
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It includes linguistics, psychoanalysis, and social history to understand the female experience.
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Women’s Language & Writing:
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She explores whether women have a distinct literary style shaped by their biological, psychological, and cultural experiences.
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Impact of the Essay:
Showalter’s essay was groundbreaking in shifting the focus from male-centered feminist criticism to women’s writing on its own terms. It laid the groundwork for later feminist literary theories.
Conclusion
Elaine Showalter’s work was part of a broader movement that sought to establish women’s literature as an independent field. Her essay provided a historical and theoretical framework that helped redefine feminist literary criticism, making it a vital part of modern literary studies.