What are the differences between feminism and formalism?
Answer
Formalism and feminist literary analysis are two different approaches to interpreting a literary text. The different critical methods for interpreting and evaluating literary texts can give readers very different insights into a work of literature.
In literary theory, formalism is a critical approach that analyzes, interprets, and evaluates the inherent features of a text, such as grammar, syntax, and literary devices. As stated in my article, formalism heavily relies on symbolism and the use of language in attempting to figure out the meaning of a literary text. The formalist approach interprets the text only based on the symbolism, imagery, and form contained in the text, and does not consider the historical context or culture that the text was written in.
Feminist literary analysis, on the other hand, is highly concerned with historical context and the cultural conditions that produced the text. Feminist literary analysis and criticism is informed by feminist theory and the politics of feminism (feminism referring to a collection of political and social movements which each focus on equal rights for women, and in many cases, other marginalized groups). Feminist literary analysis, as I explained in the article, looks at the way in which women are portrayed in a literary work, and analyzes the work through the lens of the culture and period in which the work was written. The feminist literary analysis focuses on how the relationships between men and women are portrayed, how femininity and masculinity are defined, and how male and female roles are assigned in literary works.
Formalism is more concerned with the form the literary text takes, while feminism is more concerned with the cultural context of the literary text.
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