WOMAN LITERATURE: THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE
KADIN EDEBİYATI: BİR VAROLUŞ MÜCADELESİ

Author : Mehmet Bakır ŞENGÜL
Number of pages : 203-211

Abstract

The concepts of woman and literature are always at the centre of discussions during producing and consuming a literal work. The existence of woman in literary world, expressing herself, handling her problems and offering solutions and economic self-sufficiency are among the themes which feminism prioritizes. Literature is an important vehicle to convey woman’s victimization to the large masses. Through using it, some writers try to raise the consciousness of feminity. Masculine discourse is one of the most important facts which makes woman fall behind man. It is a kind of custom that scorns, insults and swears at woman. Due to this masculine discourse, woman regards manhood as an ideal but unattainable concept. The masculine discourse causes woman to play a passive role against man by showing her as the source of all evil. The contempt focusing on feminity is directed to concretize the masculine identity of man. Feminist discourse argues that woman’s problems should have been reflected by responsive female authors owing to the fact that masculine literature cannot reveal the woman’s problems. This approach leads to a feminist approach in literature. With the participation of female authors into literary discourse, the literature surrounded by male authors has been got out of sex-oriented understanding. It can be easily said that the woman identities fictionalised by male authors are defective, if not fallacious. Through the texts presented by women without disregarding their gender, this deficiency will be both remedied and the concept of woman literature will come to the fore.

Keywords

Literature, Woman, Woman Literature, Feminist Criticism, A Room of One’s Own

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