Analyze what themes and challenges a feminist writer might endure when creating fiction or nonfiction. How do they skillfully educate the masses while still creating a story to win over even the most misogynistic in society?
Great topic. I wonder if writing with a male nom de plume/pseudonym is still helpful. – Munjeera7 years ago
"Educate the masses" implies that feminism is always 'correct'. Perhaps in its core tenants, but the term has been somewhat co-opted today... I don't know if it's logically coherent to assume one's ideology is of ultimate educational authority? Like, perhaps from another's point of view the so-called masses need no education, and to them this is the ultimate truth. Point being: ideologies can never logically be 'true,' because morally-based (unscientific) truth is essentially subjective. – m-cubed7 years ago
m-cubed, you're misunderstanding the topic proposal if you think it is about saying one side is right. It is about educating people on a subject that they may not have otherwise been subjected to because of previous idealogical belief. Your words:"from another's point of view the so-called masses need no education, and to them this is the ultimate truth." Translation: Some people believe the acquisition of new knowledge or points of view is unimportant so therefore it should be. I simply disagree and I'd assume many people who write for this online magazine would too. Your comment makes the point as to why it needs to be written about. We can debate the philosophical meaning of truth all day and night, but the bottom line is feminism exists and is an important topic. It remains contemporaneous and relevant to many, many social movements today. Unsurprisingly, it has found its way into the literature we read. – JulieCMillay7 years ago
One of the major challenges is to present a plausible, or at least imaginable, alternative to patriarchy. I think Ursula Le Guin is a great example of a feminist writer who does just this in a way that is engaging and not preachy. – SFG7 years ago
I think it depends on how they identify: female, WOC, LGBTQIA+ and disabled feminist writers are often met with abuse/threats and ignorance... however, when a male (typically cisgender and white) feminist writer conveys similar messages, he isn't met with abuse (at least not to the extent she does), and is hailed as a champion of women's rights/the greater good. Watching that unfold can be daunting and prevent a feminist writer from wanting to publish their work. – stephameye7 years ago
I think the problem m-cubed has articulated about "educate the masses" relates to the idea of truth. For many years, the canon of literature was dominated by White, male Eurocentric men. Having said that, there were women who were accepted under a male pseudonym which reinforces patriarchy. Patriarchy and novels that support androcentric protagonists were always valued and seen as the only voice. With online writing though, we really have no idea who the writer is unless revealed. I think one way barriers have been reduced is by online access which is one reason I love theArtifice so much. – Munjeera7 years ago
"How do they skillfully educate the masses while still creating a story to win over even the most misogynistic in society?"
Include believable and well-rounded female characters in your fiction - whether as a protagonist or as an antagonist write them as real people, reveal their humanity and show that women in fiction can be just as cool, or cruel, as the male characters. Show the misogynists that we all have an inate humanity, we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. Show them that men and women work better together as a team, that society can be farer and more equal - and that society will be all the better for it. – Peter Guy Blacklock7 years ago
'Educating the masses' is a rather unfortunate choice of term, perhaps. No-one wants to read didactic literature in this day and age. – JudyPeters7 years ago
Ah, a highly interesting and timely topic! I can think of a few challenges right off the top of my head. It'll be fascinating to see what a writer comes up with. – Stephanie M.7 years ago
Cinderella, Snow White, Belle. These are just a few of the heroines from traditional fairy tales that lack a maternal figure. Most often, the mother is deceased and the heroine must navigate the world without her guidance. What is the significance of this maternal absence? How has the lack of a loving, nurturing mother in traditional fairy tales enabled the story to progress? Or has the lack of maternal figure hindered the development of the heroine?
This would actually be a really fascinating topic. I have often wondered about the meaning behind maternal figures in fairy tales and their significance in real life, both throughout history and today. The literary analysis of this character attribute can be discussed in much detail. – SophIsticated7 years ago
It also seems that the only time an older female exists in a traditional fairy tale is when they are an antagonist, such as "the evil stepmother" or "wicked witch" trope.
Maybe this is pointing to the fact that at the time the tales were written, youth, beauty, and innocence was more desirable in woman, and championed as marks of a 'good' woman, as opposed to old age and life experience, which automatically made you 'evil', if you were a woman. – Yanni7 years ago
This is such a great topic! I've been wondering this for a while and especially as of late what with all the new adaptations of classic fairytales :) – ChloeB7 years ago
This is such an interesting idea! Maybe that the heroine and theoretical strong mother figure would conflict?
– tarawesson7 years ago
This is a really interesting idea! There's an article in the Atlantic about absent mothers in cartoons, so it seems like a very prevalent trope! – RachelFieldhouse7 years ago
Great idea! I think this issue really needs to be explored. It is present in super-heros and other modern fairy-tales, too. – Jeff MacLeod7 years ago
I have always wondered why it was that John Grisham, within his genre, has come to such massive fame. Please do analyse the ways in which his work appeals to his target audience and his rise to success.
A quick analysis of his other non genre works too like Playing For Pizza could help the article too by establishing whether/not he is a gem of a writer or is more along the lines of a legal thriller generator factory. – Dr. Vishnu Unnithan4 years ago
The protagonists in Haruki Murakami’s works are usually simple, average individuals with routines are certain behavioral traits. In fact, the majority of his stories are built up around characters discussing their idle thoughts and activities to pass the time. By having these characters come across as "simple" and "average" we can understand their feelings with more depth as they are thrown into surreal, ridiculous situations. It can be said that, by making them "boring", we further sympathize and connect with them.
In a way, I don't see these average individuals as the protagonists though. They serve as the medium we see through, showing us a skewed characterisation of the true protagonist of his story. Eg. Sputnik Sweetheart = Sumire seen through 'K'; Norwegian Wood = Naoko and Midori seen through Toru; Wild Sheep Chase = Rat seen through and unnamed character. Each story has this average joe 'protagonist' that we can relate to yet instead of acting as a protagonist they serve as a sort of diegetic narrator. – Peneha7 years ago
Analyse his short stories too (eg. Barn Burning) where the protagonist plays a similar conduit like role where we can identify with them as they experience what Harika does to their world. – Dr. Vishnu Unnithan4 years ago
This book was written in the late 1950s as a dystopian and cautionary tale about the perils of all out nuclear war. Rereading it in 2017, explore the dystopian tropes of the book in the light of American relationships with North Korea, China, Russia, etc.
One small correction. Nevil Shute wrote 'On The Beach'. Otherwise, this should make an interesting topic to address, considering the lunacy of present day 'international' politics. Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of history? – Amyus7 years ago
Fantasy has remained a strong cultural presence from the days of Tolkein to now with Game of Thrones. Changes in the fantasy genre are unsurprising given an increased technological influence and shifts in societal attitudes. That begs the question: what is next for fantasy? Examples of current fantasy authors: Sarah J Maas (ACOWAR etc), V.E Schwab (Shades of Magic series) and others are definitely welcome (and even encouraged)!
One could possibly take a look on even indie fantasy films like say The Lost River and other such offbeat titles apart from the famous approved ones. – Vishnu Unnithan7 years ago
Traditionaly the Fantasy genre has been seen, and looked down on, as a primarily adolescent kid brother/sister of its more serious speculative counterparts, SciFi and Horror. Its audience was largely adolescent and its protagonists were cheifly adolescent - at least initially for most early fantasy tales were of the Bildungsroman or "coming of age" sub-genre. More adult works of fantasy didn't start appearing (mostly) till the later part of the 20th century and I think the future of fantasy has to be seen in this more adult light. Fantasy needs to "come of age" and tackle the more serious aspects and subjects of wider speculative fiction in the way that Science Fiction and Horror already do. – Harbinger4517 years ago
I noticed while I was watching North and South that there are very similar themes to Pride and Prejudice. A man who seems mean and aloof, a stuck up girl who has refused him twice and got a proposal earlier on…Falling in love in the second proposal. It would be interesting to explore all the similarities
You can definitely draw parallels, but they are distinctly different in thematic issues, characterization, social issues, etc. Also, you stated "while I was watching," therefore, you could simply deal with the adaptations--I believe there has only been one of N&S, but MANY of Pride and Prejudice--centering on one of the Pride and Prejudice versions. I am a huge Austen and Gaskell fan, but I am uncertain how much I agree with the validity of parallels that can be drawn. But, as I always say, I do enjoy when I am uncertain about a connection in literature and then am proved wrong, allowing me to grow as a reader! – danielle5778 years ago
There remains much to be explored about connections with Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. Not only did Gaskell write a biography of Charlotte Brontë, there are fruitful overlapping themes begging to be explored, reworked, etc. – JudyPeters7 years ago
What is it about YAL that makes the genre so popular. Despite its name and set ‘age range’ young adult books are making waves and gathering attention to those of many ages allowing us to escape into the words created. Is it simply because we find the characters, situations, or world relatable? Are we living vicariously through the lives of characters we wish we could have been or been? What is it about YAL that is so captivating? Don’t believe me? Just look at all the book to screen adaptations chosen to live on the big screen. How do you Escape into the fantasy world of dystopian or YAL. Young adults and teens alike choose to lose themselves in the words living and learning vicariously through the characters.
Something that would be interesting would be to compare YA lit to other kinds of niche/'genre' fiction like mystery or sci-fi/fantasy-- both YA and traditional genre fiction are extraordinarily popular, but don't get the kind of respect that more traditional "literary" fiction gets. – Sadie8 years ago
I've found that, often, classes on YA argue that the reason people read so much YA is the "reliability" factor, though I don't know if that's necessarily all of it. I also think that there is an aspect of YA that lets topics that may not necessarily be as accessible in other genres come through in subtle interesting ways. But that may just be my own thoughts on the thing. Interesting topic! I'd love to see it written! – Mariel Tishma8 years ago
I think part of the pull toward YA novels is that they are generally easy to read and fun. For the most part, I know what I'm going to get with a YA book, hence the appeal (for me, at least). – itsverity8 years ago
While YAL may rule the sales charts, it is important to remember that they are not exactly 'masterpiece-materials'. They mostly have very short shelf-lives and poor re-read value. – Vishnu Unnithan7 years ago
Perhaps the appeal for readers of dystopian YA novels is being able to favourably compare their realities to the situations that characters are facing. – India7 years ago
YAL is an easy escape, that's why it's read in my opinion. It is not necessarily about going into the worlds or lives of the characters, it's more about just being able to escape from the real world. – Tamieka7 years ago
