Gender Ideology In Literature

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This is vital to consider when looking into feminist criticism, as Dobell likens these sisters as ‘a little bird’ and this reflects attitudes towards gender at this time. Gender Ideology is a major factor to consider in this idea, as the bars of the cage may represent the prison bars of society and class. The language used in Ohmann’s essay clearly resembles the ideological values at this time. The questioning of Dobell towards the thoughts and ideas of the Bronte sisters is notable, and gender ideology operates heavily in this essay, reflecting on the bridge between operational gender ideology in terms of language in which thoughts and ideas are expressed and feminist criticism. The language in Kaplan’s essay is fundamental in supporting…show more content…
Some embrace gender ideology and some show resistance towards it. In honesty, gender ideology has a huge impact on feminist criticism as outlined above. In both Kaplan and Ohmann’s essays, the reader is opened up to the ideological world. There is valid points in both essays that reflect on the language in which thoughts and ideas are expressed in terms of gender ideology. There is hesitation towards women’s place in society and in terms of feminist criticism, this bias influences reviewing and the chance of women in literature heavily. Gender ideology gives rise to feminist criticism as without gender ideology, feminist criticism would not exist. The use of language in these essays along with images used create an ideological idea in the reader’s mind. Whether or not this use in intentional is precarious; however it can not be ignored when studying these two essays as examples of feminist criticism. There is a strong sense of ideological issues within both essays. Dobell reflects these ideological issues well in Ohmann’s essay, his attitude towards the ‘development’ of women writers is ideological in his comparison to ‘a bird’. Even in modern day, the music industry is still stained with gender bias. Although this is less to do with ideology, it is still important to note when considering the advancement of gender roles and feminist criticism. In Kaplan’s essay the reader is shown the sexual objectification of women in society, which imprisoned women to be almost diseased with sexuality and gave them no room to write. The clever use of Pandora’s Box itself is a clue into the operation of gender ideology in feminist criticism. Altogether, it is paramount to consider the operation of gender ideology in terms of analysing thought and ideas in terms of language they are expressed in along with feminist criticism as expressed in the essays written by Kaplan and

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