The Main Protagonist of ' #Catch 22' - Captain John #Yossarian.

 The Main Protagonist of 'Catch 22' - Captain John Yossarian.

 

 

He's a bombardier in the US Army Air Force, stationed on a Mediterranean island during World War II. Yossarian is disillusioned with the war and desperately seeks a way to survive it without losing his sanity. His journey through the absurd world of the military forms the core of the novel.Capt. 

 John Yossarian, better known as Yossarian, is the main protagonist of Joseph Heller's satirical novel Catch-22. He is a 28-year-old captain in the 256th squadron of the Army Air Forces where he serves as a B-25 bombardier stationed on the small island of Pianosa off the Italian mainland during World War II.

Although he flies and lives with the men in his squadron, Yossarian is marked as an outsider by the fact that many of the men think he is insane. He believes that everyone is trying to kill him, either directly (by attacking his plane) or indirectly (by forcing him to fly missions), and he goes to great lengths to stay alive.

"History did not demand Yossarian's premature demise, justice could be satisfied without it, progress did not hinge upon it, victory did not depend on it. That men would die was a matter of necessity; which men would die, though, was a matter of circumstance, and Yossarian was willing to be the victim of anything but circumstance. But that was war."Catch-22,Ch. 8,p. 75.

As the novel opens we find Yossarian is in the hospital in Pianosa, Italy, with liver pain. The pain is serious but not so serious as to be jaundice, and his temperature stays at a moderate 101 degrees. The doctors and nurses are frustrated that his condition neither improves nor worsens. He is constantly trying to prolongs his hospital stay because the quiet, untroubled ward is safer and more comfortable than the hazardous B-25 bombing missions he must otherwise fly. 

 The Anti-Hero of Catch-22

Captain John Yossarian, the protagonist of Catch-22, is a complex and multifaceted character who embodies the novel's anti-war and anti-bureaucratic themes.

A Reluctant Soldier

Yossarian is a bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Force, stationed on a Mediterranean island during World War II. Unlike traditional war heroes, he is profoundly disillusioned with the conflict. His primary motivation is survival, not glory or patriotism. This anti-heroic stance sets him apart from the typical war narrative.

Yossarian's reluctance to participate in the war is a central theme in Catch-22. Unlike many war narratives where characters are portrayed as patriotic heroes eager to serve their country, Yossarian is disillusioned and primarily concerned with self-preservation.

Fear of Death: Yossarian's primary motivation is survival. Each mission brings him closer to death, and his fear is deep. This is evident in his constant calculations of his chances of survival and his attempts to find loopholes to avoid dangerous flights.

Questioning the War's Purpose: Yossarian is unable to comprehend the rationale behind the war. He questions the objectives and the sacrifices being made. His skepticism about the war's purpose contributes to his unwillingness to fully engage in the conflict.

Desperation for Escape: Yossarian actively seeks ways to escape the war, whether it's by feigning illness, exploiting loopholes, or simply trying to avoid dangerous assignments. His desperation to remove himself from the conflict underscores his unwillingness to be a soldier.

Yossarian's character serves as a stark contrast to the traditional war hero. Instead of embracing the ideals of patriotism and duty, he embodies the disillusionment and fear experienced by many soldiers.

A Victim of Bureaucracy

Yossarian is trapped in a Kafkaesque (extremely unpleasant, frightening, and confusing, and similar to situations described in the novels of Franz Kafka )world of military bureaucracy. The so-called "Catch-22" is a prime example of the illogical and often cruel system he's forced to navigate. His attempts to escape the constant threat of death are met with increasing bureaucratic hurdles, highlighting the dehumanizing nature of war.

Catch-22 is a scathing critique of bureaucracy, and Yossarian is its quintessential victim. The novel’s namesake paradox is itself a bureaucratic absurdity, a logical impossibility used to trap individuals.

The Catch-22 Itself: This is the most obvious example of Yossarian's entrapment. His desire to be grounded from flight duty is upset by the paradoxical rule that requesting to be grounded proves sanity, thereby disqualifying him from grounding.

Endless Paperwork: Yossarian, like many other characters, is burdened with excessive paperwork. This administrative burden diverts attention from the actual war effort and creates a sense of futility.

Arbitrary Rules and Regulations: The constant changes in mission quotas, the complex and often contradictory orders, and the arbitrary nature of promotions all contribute to the bureaucratic nightmare Yossarian endures. These rules serve more to control and manipulate individuals than to achieve any practical goal.

Dehumanization: By subjecting individuals to a tangle of rules and regulations, bureaucracy dehumanizes them, reducing them to mere numbers in a system. Yossarian's struggle to maintain his identity and sanity in the face of this dehumanization is a central theme of the novel.

Yossarian's experience highlights the absurdity and cruelty of a system that prioritizes process over people. His character serves as a powerful indictment of bureaucracy and its dehumanizing effects.

A Complex Individual

Despite his cynical outlook, Yossarian is not without empathy. He deeply cares for his fellow soldiers and is horrified by the senseless loss of life. His friendship with Orr, a seemingly oblivious pilot, and his concern for Snowden, a young soldier killed in a gruesome manner, reveal a compassionate side to his character.

Yossarian is more than just a victim of war and bureaucracy; he is a complex character with a depth of emotion and a moral compass that often contradicts his self-preservation instincts.

Empathy and Compassion: Despite his cynical exterior, Yossarian displays genuine empathy for his fellow soldiers. His concern for Snowden after his gruesome death, and his friendship with the childlike Orr, reveal a compassionate side to his character.

Moral Ambiguity: Yossarian often finds himself in morally ambiguous situations. While his primary goal is survival, he also questions the ethics of the war and the actions of his superiors. This internal conflict adds complexity to his character.

Humor as a Defense Mechanism: To cope with the horrors of war, Yossarian develops a sharp wit and a cynical sense of humor. This allows him to maintain a semblance of sanity in an absurd world. However, it also serves as a defense mechanism to protect himself from emotional pain.

Search for Meaning: Beneath the cynicism, Yossarian is searching for meaning in his life. His interactions with characters like Chaplain Tappman and Doc Daneeka suggest a longing for something beyond survival.

Yossarian is not simply a flat character defined by his circumstances. His complexity makes him a relatable and compelling figure who resonates with readers on multiple levels.

A Symbol of Resistance

Yossarian's refusal to conform to the absurd demands of the military makes him a symbol of resistance against the dehumanizing forces of war. His actions, though often driven by self-preservation, challenge the unquestioning obedience expected of soldiers.

Yossarian's character serves as a potent symbol of resistance against the dehumanizing forces of war and bureaucracy. He challenges the unquestioning obedience expected of soldiers and refuses to conform to the absurd rules that govern his world.

Defiance of Authority: Yossarian's constant questioning of orders and his refusal to participate in missions he deems senseless represent a direct challenge to military authority. His actions serve as a model for others who might be considering similar forms of dissent.

Exposure of Absurdity: By highlighting the illogical and often cruel nature of the bureaucratic system, Yossarian exposes the absurdity of war. His refusal to participate in this madness is a form of protest against the system itself.

Inspiration for Others: While not explicitly a leader, Yossarian's actions inspire others to question the status quo. His disillusionment and determination to survive resonate with his fellow soldiers, creating a sense of solidarity among those who are tired of the war.

Yossarian's resistance is not always overt or violent. It is often expressed through subtle acts of defiance and a refusal to conform. Nevertheless, his character represents a powerful critique of war and bureaucracy, inspiring readers to question authority and challenge the status quo.

In essence, Yossarian is a product of his environment. His character is shaped by the absurdity and cruelty of war. He is a complex and relatable figure who represents the human cost of conflict.

#Catch-22 Simplified

                                #Catch-22 Simplified 

 

                     Catch-22 is a famously complex and satirical novel by Joseph Hellen.

Why #JosephHeller Wrote #Catch-22?

Joseph Heller's primary motivation for writing Catch-22 was to critique the absurdity and dehumanizing nature of war.

His personal experiences as a bombardier during World War II provided the raw material for the novel. He witnessed firsthand the irrationality of military bureaucracy and the psychological toll that war takes on individuals.

Heller sought to use satire and black humor to expose the contradictions and hypocrisies of war. He wanted to highlight the ways in which individuals are caught up in systems that prioritize process over human life.

Ultimately, Catch-22 is a powerful anti-war novel that continues to resonate with readers because it captures the universal human experience of feeling trapped by circumstances beyond one's control.

#BlackHumor and Catch-22

Black humor is a form of comedy that treats serious and often disturbing subjects in a humorous manner. It often involves irony, satire, and dark wit to explore themes of death, violence, and absurdity.  

Catch-22 is a quintessential example of black humor in literature. ¹ The novel, set during World War II, follows the experiences of Yossarian, a bombardier who desperately wants to go home but is constantly faced with illogical and bureaucratic obstacles. ²  

Heller uses black humor to:

• Expose the #Absurdity of War: The novel is filled with absurd situations and characters that highlight the irrationality and futility of war. For instance, the endless mission quotas and the inexplicable rules of the military are presented in a humorous, yet disturbing way.  
• Criticize #Bureaucracy: The bureaucratic red tape that Yossarian encounters is often portrayed with dark humor. The Catch-22 itself, a paradoxical rule that prevents pilots from being grounded, is a prime example of this.
• Deal with #Trauma: Black humor allows the novel to address the psychological trauma of war without resorting to sentimentality. By using humor to describe horrific events, Heller creates a sense of detachment and irony that reflects the characters' coping mechanisms.

The Setting of Catch-22

Catch-22 is primarily set on the fictionalized Mediterranean island of Pianosa during World War II. This island serves as a microcosm of the absurd and chaotic world that the characters inhabit.

While the specific island is fictional, the overall atmosphere and conditions reflect the reality of military life during the war. The novel effectively captures the isolation, boredom, and constant threat of danger that soldiers faced.

The Significance of the Setting in Catch-22

The setting of Pianosa in Catch-22 is more than just a backdrop; it's an integral part of the novel's themes and atmosphere.

Pianosa is  an island located in the Tuscan Archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy.

It's fascinating how Joseph Heller used a real-world location to create a fictional setting that so perfectly embodies the themes of his novel.

 

• Isolation and Confinement: The island serves as a microcosm of the characters' trapped existence. Surrounded by water, they feel isolated from the world, mirroring their psychological isolation from reality.
• Bureaucratic Absurdity: The military base on Pianosa becomes a symbol of bureaucratic madness, where illogical rules and procedures reign supreme.
• War's Dehumanizing Effects: The island's barren landscape and the constant threat of death contribute to the novel's exploration of the dehumanizing effects of war.
• Contrasts with Reality: The idyllic Mediterranean setting contrasts sharply with the horrors of war, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.

By choosing Pianosa, Heller creates a setting that perfectly complements the novel's themes and enhances the reader's understanding of the characters' experiences.

The Basic Story

• A Crazy War: The story takes place during World War II.
• Yossarian, the Reluctant Hero: Our main character, Yossarian, is a soldier who just wants to go home.
• A Ridiculous Situation: Yossarian's unit is in a strange place where everyone seems more interested in their own careers than the soldiers' lives.
• The Catch-22: This is the heart of the story. It's a crazy rule that says: If you're crazy, you don't have to fly dangerous missions. But if you don't want to fly, you're not crazy. So, you have to fly!

Key Themes

• Bureaucracy Gone Wild: The military is filled with silly rules and people who care more about paperwork than people.
• War is Absurd: The novel shows how war doesn't make sense and often hurts innocent people.
• Questioning Authority: Yossarian and his friends challenge the orders of their leaders, showing that it's okay to question those in power.

 Simplified summary -

"Catch-22 is a story about a soldier named Yossarian who just wants to go home from a crazy war. The army is filled with silly rules and people who don't care about the soldiers. Yossarian tries to find a way out, but there's this crazy rule called Catch-22 that traps him. The book is funny, but it also shows how stupid war can be."

Catch-22 is a story about a soldier named Yossarian who's really tired of war. He's in the army air force, and he's supposed to fly planes and drop bombs. But he doesn't want to die!

The problem is, the more missions he flies, the more his boss makes him fly. It's like a never-ending game. And there's this crazy rule called "Catch-22" that says if you're crazy, you don't have to fly. But if you don't want to fly, that means you're not crazy, so you have to fly anyway!

So, Yossarian tries all sorts of tricks to get out of flying. He pretends to be sick, he acts crazy, he even tries to run away. But nothing works. All around him, people are going crazy from the war, and he's starting to lose his mind too.

The story is funny, but it also shows how stupid and unfair war can be. It's about a group of soldiers trying to survive in a crazy world where nobody seems to care about them.

Key Characters in Catch-22 and Their Contributions to Theme

Catch-22 is populated with a colorful cast of characters, each serving as a microcosm of the absurd world the novel satirizes.

Yossarian

• Character: The protagonist, a bombardier desperate to survive the war.
• Theme: Represents the individual's struggle against a senseless bureaucracy. His desire to live highlights the absurdity of war.

Colonel Cathcart

• Character: An ambitious officer obsessed with increasing mission quotas for personal glory.
• Theme: Embodies the military's bureaucratic inefficiency and the corrupting influence of power.

Doc Daneeka

• Character: The flight surgeon who introduces the infamous Catch-22 rule.
• Theme: Symbolizes the illogical and paradoxical nature of the military system. His character highlights the theme of bureaucracy gone mad.

Milo Minderbinder

• Character: A cunning mess officer who turns the war into a profitable enterprise.
• Theme: Represents the commercialization of war and the dehumanization of conflict.

Chaplain Tappman

• Character: A disillusioned chaplain struggling with his faith in a world of chaos.
• Theme: Reflects the loss of morality and spiritual guidance in a war-torn environment.

Orr

• Character: A seemingly simple-minded pilot who mysteriously survives every crash landing.
• Theme: Represents the inexplicable nature of fate and the absurdity of war, where survival often seems based on luck rather than skill.

These characters, among others, contribute to the overall themes of Catch-22 by showcasing the irrationality, bureaucracy, and dehumanization of war. Their actions and interactions serve as a satirical lens through which Heller critiques society and the military.

Other Significant Characters in Catch-22

While we've covered some of the main players, there are other notable characters who contribute to the novel's themes:

Lieutenant Nately

• Character: A young, idealistic pilot who becomes disillusioned with the war.
• Theme: Represents the loss of innocence and the corrupting influence of war. His tragic death emphasizes the senselessness of the conflict.

Snowden

• Character: A young, inexperienced crew member whose death is a catalyst for Yossarian's increasing disillusionment.
• Theme: Symbolizes the human cost of war and the psychological trauma it inflicts.

Major Major Major Major

• Character: A bureaucratic officer with a ridiculously long name who avoids any form of responsibility.
• Theme: Exemplifies the absurdity of military bureaucracy and the importance of individual resistance.

Hungry Joe

• Character: A fellow soldier tormented by nightmares of starvation.
• Theme: Represents the psychological toll of war and the irrationality of human behavior under extreme stress.

These characters, along with many others, contribute to the overall tapestry of Catch-22, reinforcing the novel's themes of absurdity, bureaucracy, and the dehumanizing effects of war.

Catch-22: A Paradoxical Title

The title Catch-22 itself is a quintessential representation of the absurd bureaucracy and illogical rules that permeate the novel. It's a paradoxical situation where pilots can only be grounded for insanity, but requesting to be grounded proves their sanity and thus disqualifies them from being grounded.

This illogical circularity mirrors the many absurd situations characters find themselves in throughout the novel. It’s a microcosm of the larger bureaucratic madness that controls their lives. The title thus serves as a symbolic representation of the novel's overarching theme: the irrationality and futility of war.

Justifying the Title

The title is justified in several ways:

1. Symbolic Representation: It encapsulates the novel's core theme of bureaucratic absurdity and the impossibility of escape.
2. Characterizing the World: The Catch-22 rule is a perfect example of the illogical, self-defeating systems that dominate the characters' lives.
3. Reflecting the Characters' Plight: The characters are trapped in a situation where there is no logical escape, just as the pilots are trapped in the Catch-22 itself.
4. Setting the Tone: The title establishes the novel's dark, satirical tone from the outset.

By using a paradoxical and illogical title, Joseph Heller sets the stage for a narrative that is equally absurd and thought-provoking. It's a title that stays with the reader long after finishing the book, serving as a constant reminder of the novel's central message.

 

Why Chapter Titles Are Based on Characters in Catch-22

The use of character names as chapter titles in Catch-22 is a deliberate, systematic, stylistic choice that contributes to the novel's overall thematic and structural approach.

1. Emphasis on Individuality within Chaos: By focusing on specific characters, the novel highlights the individual experiences within the larger, chaotic backdrop of war.
2. Reinforcing the Absurd: The illogical nature of these chapter titles mirrors the absurd and illogical world the characters inhabit.
3. Character-Driven Narrative: The novel is deeply character-oriented, and using character names as chapter titles reinforces this focus.
4. Breaking Traditional Structure: This unconventional approach challenges the reader's expectations and contributes to the novel's experimental style.

While not every chapter is titled after a character, the frequent use of character names as chapter titles is a significant feature of the novel's structure and contributes to its overall meaning.

The Impact of War on Individuality

One of the most profound themes in Catch-22 is the erosion of individuality in the face of war. The novel portrays a world where individuals are reduced to mere cogs in a vast, impersonal machine.

• Loss of Identity: Characters like Yossarian struggle to maintain their sense of self as they are subjected to increasingly absurd and dangerous situations. The constant threat of death and the dehumanizing nature of war strip away their individuality.
• Bureaucracy as a Dehumanizing Force: The military bureaucracy is presented as a monstrous entity that crushes individual spirit. Rules and regulations are arbitrary and often contradict themselves, leading to a sense of powerlessness among the soldiers.
• The Survival Instinct: In an attempt to preserve their sanity and lives, characters often resort to desperate measures, which can further alienate them from their own humanity.

Heller's portrayal of this theme is both tragic and darkly comic. By showing how war can strip individuals of their identity and autonomy, he offers a powerful critique of the dehumanizing effects of conflict.

The American Dream in Catch-22

Catch-22 offers a scathing critique of the American Dream, exposing its illusionary nature in the face of war and bureaucracy. The novel presents a world where the pursuit of happiness and individual freedom is thwarted by the irrational and often cruel forces of society.

• The Illusion of Freedom: While the American Dream promises individual liberty, the characters in Catch-22 are trapped in a system that denies them basic human rights. The constant threat of death and the arbitrary rules of the military erode their sense of agency.
• The Corruption of the American Ideal: Milo Minderbinder, the character who embodies the unchecked pursuit of profit, represents a perversion of the American Dream. His ruthless pursuit of wealth and power at any cost highlights the dark side of the American ideal.
• The Futility of the Pursuit: Yossarian's desire to survive the war and return home reflects the classic American dream of safety and security. However, the absurd and illogical nature of the military bureaucracy prevents him from achieving this goal, demonstrating the futility of the pursuit.

By exposing the hypocrisy and contradictions inherent in the American Dream, Heller offers a powerful indictment of a society that prioritizes material success over human life. The novel suggests that the pursuit of happiness is an elusive goal in a world dominated by irrationality and injustice.

Mental Health and War in Catch-22

Catch-22 is a profound exploration of the psychological toll of war. The novel delves into the complexities of trauma, alienation, and the human psyche under extreme pressure.

• Yossarian as a Case Study: Yossarian is often seen as a prototypical example of a soldier grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His increasing detachment from reality, his obsessive fear of death, and his desperate attempts to escape the war are all classic symptoms of this condition.
• The Absurdity as a Symptom: The surreal and often illogical world of the novel can be seen as a manifestation of the characters' fractured mental states. The absurdity of their circumstances mirrors the internal chaos they experience.
• Black Humor as a Defense Mechanism: The novel's use of black humor can be interpreted as a coping mechanism for the characters, allowing them to distance themselves from the horrors they witness.

Heller's portrayal of mental health struggles in Catch-22 is ahead of its time, as the novel was published before PTSD was widely recognized as a mental health condition. By exploring the psychological impact of war with such depth and honesty, Heller has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the human cost of conflict.

 

 

      Feminism- The Western Concept
 

Every nation has its own creative, artistic, literary and critical turn of mind. Nations' culture and social standard can be reflected through Literature. Analysing a piece of literature in several ways need to apply relevant critical theories. One of the most vibrant theories today to interpret any piece of literature is the feminist point of view. Its strength lies in its ability to uncover and challenge gender biases and power dynamics embedded within texts, both old and new.

Core principles:

Power and representation: Feminist criticism views literature as reflecting and shaping social structures, particularly the power dynamics between men and women. It analyses how female characters are portrayed, how gender roles are constructed, and how these representations contribute to or challenge existing power structures.

Challenging the patriarchy: It critically examines the assumptions and values of a patriarchal society, uncovering sexism, discrimination, and marginalization of women. This critique extends beyond individual characters to the language, symbolism, and narrative itself.

Multiple perspectives: Recognizing the diversity of women's experiences, feminist criticism avoids a monolithic approach. It incorporates various feminist theories, from intersectionality to queer theory, to analyses how race, class, sexuality, and other factors intersect with gender in shaping women's lives and their representation in literature.

Recovery and rediscovery: It actively seeks to unearth and celebrate the works of marginalized women writers throughout history. This not only expands the literary canon but also offers alternative perspectives and voices that challenge traditional narratives.

Benefits of this approach:

Deeper understanding: By applying a feminist lens, we gain a richer understanding of the complexities of gender and its impact on various characters and situations within a text.

Critical thinking: It encourages questioning and challenging implicit assumptions about gender roles and representations, promoting critical thinking and awareness of societal biases.

Celebrating diversity: It recognizes and values the diverse experiences of women, fostering a more inclusive and representative literary landscape.

Empowering narratives: Feminist analysis can highlight stories of female resistance, resilience, and agency, offering empowering narratives that inspire and challenge readers.

 

Well as such the world is organized on the concept of imbalance by patriarchy. The powerful people dominate the powerless, the haves rule over the have-nots, men establish control over women. Most of the societies across the globe are patriarchal. In patriarchy, women have been suppressed, oppressed and considered like a consumer object for over the centuries. The 19th and 20th centuries saw awakening of woman consciousness through popular socio-politico-literary movements. Authors have been trying to portray a realistic picture of social and family structures across the world in their respective texts.

 

Recent literary works project women revolting against their traditional secondary status in family and society. These and the past works have to be analysed from feminist perspectives applying various views and theories

within feminism. The importance of taking into account the development of notion feminism, historically famous theories in feminism are raised in order to acquaint and to apply to any literary text.

 

Women’s struggle against social oppression has a long history, but the Feminist literary theory as a specific, organized school of critical practice has flourished out of the self-conscious, Eurocentric literary-cultural movement of women writers and critics during the 1960s against discrimination and oppression of women in patriarchal social system and their naturalized representation in mainstream, canonical literature and art.

 

While organized feminist theory in literature took off in the 1960s, women writers and thinkers long challenged patriarchal norms and limitations. Figures like Christine de Pizan in the 15th century and Mary Wollstonecraft in the 18th century questioned societal structures and advocated for women's rights.

 

Christine de Pizan and Mary Wollstonecraft: Early Advocates for Women's Rights

While the term "feminism" wasn't formally used until much later, the voices of Christine de Pizan in the 15th century and Mary Wollstonecraft in the 18th century stand out as remarkable examples of early women challenging societal structures and advocating for their rights. Here's a closer look at their contributions:

Christine de Pizan (1364-c. 1430): A well-educated writer and advisor to the French royal court, Christine faced discrimination within the male-dominated literary sphere.

Key works:

"The Treasure of the City of Ladies" (1405): This allegorical work defends women against negative portrayal in literature and argues for their intellectual capacity and moral strength. Christine assembles a "City of Ladies" populated by historical and fictional women of achievement, demonstrating female excellence in various fields.

"The Book of the Three Virtues" (1405): This educational treatise outlines moral and intellectual virtues necessary for women to navigate their roles in society and contribute meaningfully.

Considered a precursor to feminist thought, Christine's work challenged prevailing views of women and advocated for their education, intellectual engagement, and social contributions.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797): A writer and philosopher involved in the Enlightenment, Wollstonecraft championed human rights and social justice, including women's equality.

Key works:

"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792): This groundbreaking work critiques the way women were educated and raised, arguing that their supposed intellectual inferiority stemmed from societal limitations, not inherent nature. Wollstonecraft advocated for equal access to education for women, believing it would cultivate their reason and enable them to become virtuous and independent citizens.

"Thoughts on the Education of Daughters" (1787): This work addresses the shortcomings of female education, advocating for a curriculum that fosters intellectual inquiry, moral principles, and practical skills to prepare women for meaningful lives.

Wollstonecraft's work provided a philosophical basis for future feminist movements, challenging the existing social order and demanding equal rights and opportunities for women based on reason and justice.

Together, de Pizan and Wollstonecraft, though separated by centuries, laid the groundwork for future feminist thought and activism. Their work highlights the persistent need to challenge gender inequalities and advocate for women's rights throughout history.

As such the concept of Feminism, in general, has been concerned to an analysis of the trend of male domination in the society; the general attitude of male towards female; the exploitation and discrimination faced by females; the need for and ways of improving the condition of women; and, so on.

This literary movement focuses on:

How literature both reflects and challenges gender discrimination.

Why there are fewer celebrated female writers than male writers.

How male and female writers portray gender discrimination differently.

The interplay between social conditions and literature in shaping ideas about gender.

In simpler terms, this movement examines how literature can preserve or fight against unfair treatment based on gender, why there's an imbalance in recognition between male and female authors, how each gender approaches the topic in their writing, and how society and literature influence each other in shaping views on gender roles.

 

The concept got proper identification in the literary field during 1960s. Before that, feminism was limited to the authorship of female writers and the representation given to women in literature with the help of female characters. Naturally woman is born free, but certain man-made social norms chained her. These chains are obvious in the world of woman. Until 20th century, most of the British literature was written by male writers, and female characters were projected through male perspective. There were very few female writers and Pseudonyms were used by female writers assuming males like Bronte sisters, George Eliot and others.

In the wake of the 20th century Virginia Wolf addressed the issue of female domination by the men: “For we have to ask ourselves, here and now, do we wish to join that (academic) procession, or don’t we? On what terms shall we join that procession? Above all, where is it leading us, the procession of educated men? ”(Woolf: 1963 pp.62-63)

Challenging the status quo: Woolf does not just simply advocate for women joining the academic procession. She asks crucial questions that challenge the very foundation of this established system.

Active choice and agency: By posing the question "do we wish to join?", Woolf emphasizes the importance of women consciously choosing their path rather than passively accepting the existing male-dominated model.

Terms of engagement: She urges women to critically evaluate the "terms" under which they would participate. This implies the need to question and potentially change the existing rules, structures, and power dynamics within academia to truly include women on equal footing.

Scrutiny of the direction: The most insightful part of the quote lies in the final question: "where is it leading us, the procession of educated men?". This prompts readers to critically examine the goals, values, and outcomes of the current academic path. This is not just about women joining the system, but about questioning the system itself and potentially shaping it into something more inclusive and just.

Woolf's perspective can be interpreted in several ways:

Rejection of the male model: Perhaps she suggests that blindly joining the existing patriarchal system reinforces inequalities. Instead, women should create their own alternative paths to knowledge and scholarship.

Reform from within: Woolf could be implying that women need to enter the academic sphere but actively work to change its practices, curriculum, and power dynamics from within.

Need for diverse perspectives: Her questions highlight the importance of incorporating diverse voices and perspectives, including those of women, to enrich and broaden the scope of academic discourse.

Ultimately, Woolf's statement prompts us to critically reflect on the limitations of existing power structures and imagine alternative possibilities for creating a more inclusive and equitable intellectual landscape.

 

Feminist writing and literature: A simplified explanation

Before the 1960s:

Men mostly defined the roles and status of women.

Women had limited rights and opportunities.

Change began with:

The fight for women's suffrage (right to vote) in the early 20th century.

This sparked awareness and hope for addressing women's issues.

While many problems remain:

Women have gained more rights and freedoms, like voting.

Many continue to fight for full equality and address ongoing issues.

The movement:

Gained momentum in the 1960s, with new organizations and protests.

These groups demanded justice and equal rights for women.

Influential feminist writers like Germaine Greer and Kate Millet inspired rebellion against oppression.Feminist writing and literature emerged in the 20th century as women fought for equality and challenged traditional gender roles. While progress has been made, the movement continues to work towards a fairer and more just society for all.Feminist approach is considered the only path to attract the world's attention to the injustice done to women. Feminist movement grew after the year 1960s, although, the origin of feminism can be traced back to the earlier period in France and Netherlands in 1872 and in Britain in 1890.

 

Rise of Feminism

Originally, feminism was a literary trend and then it became socio-political movement. Feminism rose as a result of these events. The theory was western in 1960s and 1970s after that it gained its global significance. The essential issues in feminism were: What does female want? Who is the real feminist? These questions are the most dominant within feminism.

 

The leading Anglo-American feminist critic was Showalter, American literary critic and teacher ( born 1941)  mentioned the main interests in traditional critical concepts like characterization, motifs and theme. Some critics like Derrida believed that the real world is not presented in the literary texts.

Elaine Showalter and traditional critical concepts:

Elaine Showalter is a prominent feminist literary critic known for her contributions to gynocriticism, which focuses on analyzing literature written by women from a feminist perspective. While advocating for gynocriticism, Showalter acknowledged the value of traditional critical concepts like characterization, motifs, and theme.

She argued that these concepts could be reinterpreted and applied from a feminist lens to provide deeper insights into women's experiences and representations in literature.

 

Works

Showalter developed her doctoral thesis into her first book, A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontë to Lessing (1977), a pioneering study in which she created a critical framework for analyzing literature by women. Her next book, The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830–1980 (1985), was a historical examination of women and the practice of psychiatry. She also wrote Sexual Anarchy: Gender and Culture at the Fin de Siècle (1990); Sister’s Choice: Tradition and Change in American Women’s Writing (1991); Hystories: Historical Epidemics and Modern Culture (1997), a controversial exploration of the history of mass hysteria; Inventing Herself: Claiming a Feminist Intellectual Heritage (2001), which follows the evolution of the feminist intellectual from the 18th to the 21st century; Teaching Literature (2003); Faculty Towers: The Academic Novel and Its Discontents (2005), an analysis of the academic novel and its relation to real-world institutes of higher education; and A Jury of Her Peers (2009), a survey of women’s writing in the United States from its origins through the 1990s. The Civil Wars of Julia Ward Howe (2016) is a biography about the American author. Showalter also edited several volumes, including The New Feminist Criticism (1985) and Daughters of Decadence: Women Writers of the Fin de Siècle (1993).

Jacques Derrida (1930 – 2004) and the deconstruction of reality:

Jacques Derrida, an Algerian-born French philosopher, is associated with deconstruction, a philosophical approach that challenges traditional notions of meaning and representation. Derrida argued that texts are not transparent windows to a pre-existing reality but rather constructed through language and subject to multiple interpretations. In this context, he might suggest that literary texts do not simply "present" the real world but rather offer complex and potentially unreliable representations that are shaped by the author's perspective, language choices, and the historical context.

Reconciling these viewpoints:

Showalter and Derrida represent different, but not necessarily conflicting, approaches to literary criticism. While Showalter emphasizes the importance of analyzing specific elements within texts (like characterization), Derrida focuses on the broader question of how meaning is constructed and interpreted.

 

Feminist critics can engage with both perspectives by using traditional concepts to analyze representations of gender in texts while also acknowledging the inherent complexities and limitations of literary representation. The condition of women in society, in general, got expression through the situations faced by fictional female characters and their responses to these situations. The adoption of the concept by literature in a formal manner led to the study of all the aspects of human life; like social, cultural, educational, professional and financial; with an intent to expose the intentional and unintentional efforts of the society to maintain or intensify the effects of patriarchal superiority. The evolution of feminism as a literary movement could be divided into following stages:

 

First-wave feminism, which led from the 18th century until World War II and was centered on securing basic civil rights to vote and to own property;

British novelist Virginia Woolf is arguably the most significant writer associated with the First-Wave Feminism which, however, predates and prepares the ground for the more rigorous and theory-oriented Second-Wave Feminism of the 1960s and 1970s. Avoiding for herself the tag of a “feminist”, Woolf claims gender-identity to be a relative and reversible social construct, and promulgates the notion of “androgyny” as a gender-neutral sexual ethic that should be adopted in all literary as well as socio-economic discussions. She also advocates for an exclusive, self-conscious writing practice by women that would explore female experience in its own interest. The other most influential figure associated with this wave of feminism is Simone de Beauvoir whose book The Second Sex (1949) distinguishes between sex and gender, marking the latter as a socio-political imposition, and critiques the varied forms of subjugation and oppression of women in patriarchal social system. Her journal Questions féministes (1977-‟80) marks the shift from the first wave towards the second wave of feminist literary movement.

 

Second-wave feminism, which lasted from the end of World War II until the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1980s and centered on achieving equality in the workplace, protecting reproductive choice, and attempting to pass the ERA .

 The Second-Wave Feminism, originated and developed chiefly in France and America, is more rigorously theoretical in its conceptualizations of feminine experience, sexual difference and the politics of reproduction in the domain of literature. Such critics as Kate Millett, Julia Kristeva, Elaine Showalter, Hélène Cixous, Germaine Greer, Toril Moi and Luce Irigaray seek to theorize, in different ways, the nuances and impacts of sexual difference on basis of biology, experience, discourse, the unconscious psyche, and socio-economic conditions. The feminist critics of this phase frequently resort to Marxist, Freudian, Lacanian and Foucauldian discourses to substantiate their own arguments against patriarchal hegemony and conditioning of women.

Kate Millett‟s seminal book Sexual Politics (1970) describes patriarchy as “a political institution”, and locates the cause of women‟s oppression in economic inequality and systematic indoctrination enforced by prevalent patriarchal practices of conditioning and socialization through which certain masculine values and conventions are normalized so as to shape feminine experiences accordingly.

 

Hélène Cixous in her celebrated essay „The Laugh of the Medusa‟ (1976) propounds the notion of écriture féminine as an exclusively feminine discourse for positive representation of femininity by subverting the phallogocentric/masculine symbolic language and creating new identities for women. According to Cixous, formulation of écriture féminine necessitates women to put their bodies into their writing, to write freely about their female experiences in ways of their own, ignoring and refuting the grammatical, semantic, ethical and axiomatic constructs and norms of the phallogocentric language.

 

Other significant books pertaining to the Second-Wave Feminist Criticism are: Psychoanalysis and Feminism (1975) by Juliet Mitchell, The Madwoman in the Attic (1979) by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, and Sexual/Textual Politics (1985) by Toril Moi.

 

Third-wave feminism, which incorporates racial justice, LGBT rights, and class oppression into the feminist worldview and seek real, practical equality for all women.

What is often designated as the Third-Wave Feminism refers to the more socially and politically oriented form of feminist movement in the USA during the 1990s. It has little to do with literature and criticism, and differs from the first two waves of feminist movement in its sole emphasis on such social issues as intersectionality, sex positivity, gender-equality, women empowerment, rape and sexual harassment. Principal activists of this phase of feminist movement are: Rebecca Walker, Anita Hill, Jennifer Baumgardner and Eve Ensler.

 

Feminist criticism has been concerned not only with the depiction of women and men in a male-determined literary canon and with female responses to these images but also with another topic, women’s writing. Women have had fewer opportunities than men to become writers of fiction, poetry, and drama but even when they have managed to write, men sometimes have neglected their work simply because it had been by a woman.

 

Feminist have further argued that certain forms of writing have been especially the province of women-for instance journals, diaries, and letters; and predictably, these forms have not been given adequate space in the traditional, male-oriented canon.

 

Two most prominent figure in any discussion of the powerful defense of women’s struggle for equality are;

 

i)             John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women(1869) and,

ii)           Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women(1792).

 

Both books revealed the utter injustice in keeping women oppressed by advancing arguments that were essentially biased and exposed the pretentious nature of social constructions. Mill believed that ‘the liberty of the individual is absolutely necessary for the development of the society’ and viewed that women’s freedom as an essential condition. He pled led for their right to enter any profession or trade and their right to vote. Mill regarded family as a corrupting influence rendering girls miserable and abject the boys selfish. Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the earliest crusades for the emancipation of women devoted all her life and energies to protest against institutions that crushes women’s identity. She strongly put forward that women were exploited and victimised everywhere by virtue of their sex which was sought to be supported by gender-biased men construction of false scholarly pleas. On her ideas it is not difficult to find influences of the thoughts of William Godwin, a radical thinker whom she married and John Locke whose commitment to reason and ‘natural behaviour’ gave strength to her opinions.

The third significant work is Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own which constitutes two-part lecture delivered by her in two colleges in Cambridge. She dwells at length upon various things that a woman in English society has been deprived of simply because she is woman, even the entry to the library of the university, if she is not escorted ‘properly’! It is this image of woman’s dependence on man for almost everything sustained by the society which she protests against. It is a beautiful book written in a style that gives expression to the submerged agonies of a wounded self. Woolf’s book represents the perception that “there is something wrong with society’s treatment of women”.With time feminism became a potential ideological-political force revealing as its strength a number of diverse ideologies and theories that represented various angles of looking at the problem.

 

Fundamental Themes of Feminism:

 

I. Female Aesthetics: Female aesthetics, being emerged by the feminist critics of different countries, has become one of the themes of feminist criticism. It is based on a universal view-a universal woman nature and culture. This general notion was developed because of a special social phenomenon aroused in America, Germany, Italy, and Russia. The feminists who were against the patriarchy, notion of canon formation in literary creation and criticism, formed a distinct movement ‘Women’s Liberation Movement’. The supposition of female aesthetics is that there is distinctive literary awareness of female which is distinct from the male.The movement collects momentum because in the period of 60s, there is the development of ‘Black Literature’ (Negro Literature) in U.S.A. which provided the insights for the development of female aesthetics. According to Black Literature, the Negro has a distinct awareness from the Whites. In this way, ‘female aesthetics’ is the ‘female literary consciousness’as expressed in literature or ‘the female sense of beauty’.

 

II. Gynocriticism: In the theory of female aesthetics we find that it is based on a universal concept, a universal woman nature and culture. On the contrary Gynocriticism regards woman different, in terms of nature, race, culture and nation, and due to this, they cannot be universally studied. It addresses to practical problems only and it is more forward. According to ‘gynocriticism’ it is a peculiar feminist reading-criticism of female’s texts. The main object of ‘gynocritics’ was to read the literature which is being written by female and to present what characterizes the literature of woman as woman.

 

III. Canon Formation: Canon formulation is the reformulation of the literary canon. It was needed to change the marginality of woman. The growth of “female aesthetics” and gynocriticism laid to elaboration of a distinct canon of female writing-literature by woman. Emily Bronte, George Eliot and Jane Austen are excellent female writers throughout the late 18th and 19th century. The effort of feminist critics concentrated in the period of 70’s which results to the idea of woman tradition in literature. Many of the female writers and writings were analyzed in depth, presenting the individuality of woman writers and their writings.

 

IV. Female Subject or Female Identity: In the concept of feminist criticism, the subject is undoubtedly the female author and the subject has a personality. This type of idea, the idea of the character or the author as a personality undertake the belief of the ‘unity of the self’. There is something called ‘unified self’. The subject has a ‘substantive or unified self’.

 

V. Gender Theory: In the later part of the 80’s, one more theme, gender theory was developed. In fact, some of the male critics are talking over the feminist point of view. In this respect, K. K. Ruthvin and his work “The Feminist Literary Studies” are significant. This coming of male critics to the horizon of ‘feminism’ causes a kind of dispute between the female and male critics of ‘feminist criticism’. Because of this entry of male critics into the feminist criticism a slackening comes. Some of the female critics are trying to discover the nature of masculinity in literature. This is a new development. In this respect, “Between Men” (the subtitle-“English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire”) of Eve Sedgwick is noteworthy in the period of 80’s. It is a study of male homosociality in literature. It reveals how the masculine patriarchal ideal gets reflected in literature. Being a gender discourse, it is a new approach to study. In late 80,s, post -colonial group supported a part of the process for coloniality‘race’ is the distinguishing thing and here ‘gender’ is the most significant factor of study. Now literature came to be studied with the expression of both, expression of feminity and expression of masculinity.

Feminist criticism made possible to the world that there is a tradition of female creative writing which has its own right for existence. One more contribution is that feminist criticism has developed a critical practice which might borrow from other critical practices. But it is different in colour ; besides it is anti- patriarchal in practice. It lays bare the woman subject in literature

 

Need to Develop a Model for Feminist

Analysis of Literary Texts

For making an analysis of any literary work it is necessary to have a theoretical model based on a theoretical framework. Authors take different stances in delineating with women and issues related to females. A researcher can develop an appropriate model that fits in to analyze the concerned work. Authors expose the orientation male's world in relationships, at workplace, at home, in organizations, in society oppresses women. The female protagonists and many other female characters exhibited various models of female behavior at works.

 

Some women accept the reality whereas the other revolt against the system and custom was charting out a new place for themselves. Males have been treating women as an object and hence they are disturbed and find themselves in a dilemma. All these issues in the relevant works can be discussed using a concrete theoretical paradigm. Different feminist writers' have applicable views in analysing feminist novel. The views of Simone de Beauvoir in The Second Sex are applicable to what overall female characters experienced. As Mary Ellmann, ElaineShowalter and Betty Friedan have suggested that a new woman tries to chart out her own identity in the course of time as communities advance. Hence, feminist critical theories have become fruitful to analyze the female characters, their existence, experience in the families and societies which the author give expression to.

 

Simone de Beauvoir’s seminal book The Second Sex (1949) is the first great book which has voiced basic questions of modern feminism with great clarity. The importance of this book can be gauged from the fact that it is called as ‘feminist Bible’. This books influence is felt even in the 21st century which underlies the greatness and importance of the book. The first English edition of The Second Sex appeared in 1953. In the book Simonede Beauvoir criticizes the patriarchal nature of human society and the inferior status given to women in social, political and religious spheres of life. The book has a very broad historical perspective which details injustice done to women from the historical times.

 

She makes a plea for equal opportunities and equal vocation for men and women irrespective of their sex. She argued strongly against the demotion of women to second place that have happened historically and it was still happening in the 20th century. She challenges the political, social and existential theories underlying woman's demotion in the society. The myths and definition of woman and womanhood had been used by patriarchal, male dominated society throughout the centuries to exploit women. Simone de Beauvoir says that one is not born a woman but becomes one through socialization. Women must break free from social and cultural constructs of womanhood to realize their full potential and get freedom from patriarchal society.

 

“One is not born, but rather becomes a woman.”

 

Simone de Beauvoir declares boldly in this book and this statement startled the readers when it was first published in her native France in 1949, 70 years later, it continues to have the same effect. In some more than 700 pages of analysis Beauvoir scrutinizes the facts and myths of women’s lives, using disparate methodologies of literature, history, biography, and philosophy. She not only examines the problem women encounter but also the possibilities open to them.

 

Initially the book created a shock and hostility for the author, but gradually she broke through the defense of the bourgeoisie, of the church, the businessmen , the wright- winged defenders of Napoleonic glory and the hired press. She was at once, the most hated and the most loved women in France. The book has been translated in various languages. Book one is a historical overview that she called ‘facts and myths’ about women. These she further divides into three separate sections called destiny’, ‘history’ and ‘myth’ all of which are further divided into individual chapters. ‘Destiny’ discusses the condition of women through biology, psychoanalysis and historical materialism. ‘history’ follows women through nomadic societies, as early tillers of the soil, and from time of the patriarchs and classical antiquity through Middle ages, the enlightenment, the French revolution and granting of French suffrage in 1947. In ‘ myths’ she speaks of dreams, ears and idols, then follows the mythical women created by five different male authors. Four are French – Montherlant, Claudel, Breton, and Stendhal ; the 5^th is English, D.H. Lawerence. She follows this with a discussion of ‘Myth and Reality.’

In the second volume or Book two, she deals with ‘ women’s life today’, which following form, she also divides into three sections: ‘ the formative years’, ‘situation’ and ‘justification’ .These are followed by a conclusion called ‘VII- toward liberation’ . here she is both contemporary and personal, as she writes of childhood, adolescent, maturity and old age.

As she filled in details of her ambitions outline, the word ‘other’ becomes increasingly important in her vocabulary. Humanity is male and men defines not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being. She is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her; she is the incidence, the in essential as opposed to the essential. He is the subject, he is absolute- she is the Other.............

                   * Lecture prepare for Ph.D students