To what extent is feminist criticism helpful in opening up potential meanings in “The World’s Wife”?

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Feminism as defined by Tyson is “the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women" NEED TO DO INTRODUCITON PROPERLY

As stated in the critical anthology, many feminist critics “re think the canon, aiming at the rediscovery of texts written by women”. An understanding of feminism encourages the reader to discover alternative interpretations of the poems in The World’s Wife. It not only allows the reader to gain a wider understanding of the representations of women, but it highlights revisionism of the original story. Feminists such as CA and Angela Carter have exposed the patriarchal structure that is in fairy tales by rewriting the original stories. This is particularly evident in “The Little Red Cap”.
Little Red Cap is the Brothers Grimm’s version of Charles Perrault’s original fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. The original is written as a moralistic story, in which ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ is eaten by the wolf, the moral being that children, particularly female, should not approach strangers. Feminist critics could argue that the original story is warning against curiosity and freedom. This is because in the original version Little Red Cap is told “not to run off the path” which implies she shouldn’t go beyond the social expectation of women. However, Duffy subverts the classic and as stated in her 2005 interview she “finds a truth which hadn’t been amplified previously”.
Carol Ann Duffy’s version intensifies the role of the girl. She subverts the typical stereotype of a woman who is often seen as a weak victim or the “dangerous seductress” and is frequently used to form the plot of a story. CAD states that “Little Red...

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...y male figures. They may also question what the driving force behind Salome’s actions is. From a feminine perspective, it can be interpreted that Salome is a figure which has been hurt by the patriarchal society.
However, even though a feminist view helps to encourage certain views in the text, it can be restrictive. This is because it does not allow the reader to discover other potential meanings such as a Marxist or a Psychoanalytical perceptive. For instance, in Salome a Marxist critic may be interested in the sexual power that the woman misuses. In addition, a psychoanalytic perspective allows us to see that it is the unconscious mind that is driving Salome to do such acts. This idea is reinforced through the Lois Tysons idea that “we unconsciously behave in ways that allow us to “play out”…our conflicted feelings about the painful experiences we repress”.

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