Feminist Criticism in The Wilderness: Essay by Elaine Showalter

Feminist Literary Origins

Elaine Showalter’s essay "Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness" emerges from the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s. This era fostered feminist literary criticism as a response to patriarchal thinking and aimed to critique male-dominated literary traditions. Showalter positions feminist criticism as evolving beyond just political activism into a more complex, theoretical field. Her work highlights the need to develop a distinct terminology reflecting female experiences in literature.

Theoretical Development and Gynocriticism

Showalter introduces the concept of gynocriticism, which centers on studying women writers and their unique literary contributions. This approach contrasts with earlier feminist criticism that primarily focused on exposing male biases in literature. In the essay, Showalter outlines three phases of women’s literary history—the feminine, feminist, and female phases—showing how women’s writing has evolved from imitating male norms to expressing independent identities. She also notes feminist criticism’s theoretical challenges, describing it as a "wilderness" marked by diverse methodologies without a single unified theory. This wilderness metaphor underscores the field’s exploratory nature and the evolving debates about feminist goals, especially concerning race, class, and sexuality.

Context of Critical Discourse

Showalter’s essay critiques the state of feminist literary criticism in the late 1970s, identifying its lack of cohesion yet its adventurous engagement with broader literary theory. She argues that feminist criticism moved from political activism toward more sophisticated theoretical inquiry, though often hindered by the male-centered nature of academic theory itself. Showalter remarks that feminist critics must inhabit this “wilderness” of theory, forging new paths for interpreting women’s writing and identity. Further, the essay participates in ongoing dialogues about inclusivity, specifically the need for feminist criticism to incorporate voices of women of color and address the interplay of racial and sexual politics.

Key themes

• Feminist literary criticism is diverse and lacks a unified theory.
• Gynocriticism focuses on women's writing and experiences in literature.
• Showalter identifies three phases of women's literary history: feminine, feminist, and female.
• Feminist criticism balances between ideological commitment and academic theory.
• The metaphor of "wilderness" represents complex, untamed spaces of difference in feminist theory.
• Feminist criticism must develop its own theoretical foundations and voice.

Motifs & problems

Showalter uses the motif of the "wilderness" to symbolize the uncharted, complex terrain that feminist critics inhabit, a space traditionally dominated by masculine theory. This wilderness is portrayed both literally and metaphorically as a spatial and intellectual frontier where feminist criticism must struggle for its identity and theoretical legitimacy. The ambiguity lies in whether feminist criticism should reject mainstream male-centric theory or engage and transform it. Showalter advocates inhabiting this wilderness without isolation, embracing pluralism while seeking a unique feminist perspective. This tension between assimilation and autonomy is central to interpreting her essay.

Study questions

What does Showalter mean by the "wilderness" in feminist criticism?
How does gynocriticism differ from traditional literary criticism?
What are the characteristics of the three phases of women's literary history?
Why does Showalter argue that feminist criticism is at a theoretical impasse?
How can feminist criticism navigate between ideology and academic theory?
In what ways does Showalter suggest feminist critics should develop their own voice?
How does the wilderness metaphor reflect broader gender and power dynamics in literary theory?
What challenges does feminism face in creating a unified critical framework?

Critical approaches & debates

Elaine Showalter's essay locates feminist criticism as a diverse, evolving field rather than a unified school, emphasizing its foundation in feminist reading that revises male-centered literary history by exposing gender stereotypes and reviving women writers. Feminist critics debate the degree to which feminist theory has remained dependent on male literary frameworks, with Showalter calling for a more independent, women-centered criticism. There are tensions between feminist pluralism and efforts to establish coherent theoretical bases. Additionally, intersectional critiques point to feminist criticism's historic neglect of race and colonialism, advocating for broader inclusivity beyond gender alone.

Key passages

Showalter’s metaphor of feminist criticism as being “in the wilderness” captures its unsettled state—neither fully established nor without direction. A pivotal passage discusses feminist reading as revisionist, critically analyzing male creative theory to uncover and challenge stereotypical representations of women. This turn highlights feminist criticism’s dual task: decoding patriarchal influence and seeking autonomy through new, women-centered frameworks.

Bibliography

Showalter, Elaine. Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness. Critical Inquiry, Vol. 8, No. 2, Winter 1981, pp. 179-205. Foundational feminist works: Mary Ellman’s Thinking About Women and Kate Millett’s Sexual Politics. Recent scholarship examines feminist criticism's pluralism and intersectionality, per contemporary articles and critical handbooks on feminist literary theory.