Feminist perspectives analyze the power relations found in language and literature. They focus on issues of power and gender. The origins and assumptions of expectations and social expectations are questioned. Feminists look behind the code of relationships literature creates and represents. For instance, femininity and all its subtle and open expectations is noticed and discussed, so that the texts sometimes seem like propaganda. Resistance to social codes is also a large issue in feminism as it addresses issues of gender inequality.

Key issues include:

• Objectification of women
• Patriarchal language and assumptions
• Positive and negative stereotyping
• Issues of subordination and dominance
• Deconstructing existing power relationships

Paula Gunn Allen’s poem “Pocahontas to Her English Husband, John Rolfe” gives us a chance to apply basic feminist theory.

(15 minutes)

Use at least two cited quotes in your paragraph. No works cited is required.

Write a short paragraph that locates instances where the speaker is addressing her husband in a feminist manner in questioning him and his assumptions.

OR

Write a short paragraph applying feminist criticism to this poem. Since it is a poem of response to historical stereotypes, the approach should be obvious here.

(The difference between the choices is that the first looks at the speaker as feminist from her point of view and the second covers broader social issues.)

We cite line numbers for poems, not page numbers.