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    Feminist Criticism

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    PEARL ANGELIQUE C. GOLUYA
    The document provides a feminist critique of the portrayal of the female character Lynn in Henrietta Rose-Innes's "Poison". It argues that Lynn is presented as oblivious and meek, perpetuating negative gender stereotypes of women being passive and needing to be rescued by men. It also argues that the focus on Lynn's individual ignorance ignores broader systemic factors like patriarchal systems that contribute to societal issues and place unequal power in the hands of men. The language used to describe Lynn as willfully ignorant and part of a homogeneous group of women further reinforces harmful gender stereotypes.

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    Feminist Criticism

    Uploaded by

    PEARL ANGELIQUE C. GOLUYA
    139 views2 pages
    The document provides a feminist critique of the portrayal of the female character Lynn in Henrietta Rose-Innes's "Poison". It argues that Lynn is presented as oblivious and meek, perpetuating negative gender stereotypes of women being passive and needing to be rescued by men. It also argues that the focus on Lynn's individual ignorance ignores broader systemic factors like patriarchal systems that contribute to societal issues and place unequal power in the hands of men. The language used to describe Lynn as willfully ignorant and part of a homogeneous group of women further reinforces harmful gender stereotypes.

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    The document provides a feminist critique of the portrayal of the female character Lynn in Henrietta Rose-Innes's "Poison". It argues that Lynn is presented as oblivious and meek, perpetuating negative gender stereotypes of women being passive and needing to be rescued by men. It also argues that the focus on Lynn's individual ignorance ignores broader systemic factors like patriarchal systems that contribute to societal issues and place unequal power in the hands of men. The language used to describe Lynn as willfully ignorant and part of a homogeneous group of women further reinforces harmful gender stereotypes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    139 views2 pages

    Feminist Criticism

    Uploaded by

    PEARL ANGELIQUE C. GOLUYA
    The document provides a feminist critique of the portrayal of the female character Lynn in Henrietta Rose-Innes's "Poison". It argues that Lynn is presented as oblivious and meek, perpetuating negative gender stereotypes of women being passive and needing to be rescued by men. It also argues that the focus on Lynn's individual ignorance ignores broader systemic factors like patriarchal systems that contribute to societal issues and place unequal power in the hands of men. The language used to describe Lynn as willfully ignorant and part of a homogeneous group of women further reinforces harmful gender stereotypes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Name: Pearl Angelique Goluya

    Grade and Section: ABM-12 St. Maximilian Kolbe

    The Real Poison in Henrietta Rose-Innes’s "Poison" by Chelsea Larymore

    The female character Lynn's portrayal as oblivious and meek could be the subject of feminist critique of
    the piece because it perpetuates negative gender stereotypes. Women are often expected to be passive and to
    wait for rescue or help, rather than taking action and saving themselves. This reinforces the idea that women are
    unable to take control of their own lives and need to be saved by men. Additionally, the focus on Lynn's
    ignorance rather than the larger societal and systemic issues that contributed to the explosion at the chemical
    factory and her subsequent plight, reinforces the idea that individuals, particularly women, are solely
    responsible for their own problems and should be held accountable for their ignorance. This approach ignores
    the broader systemic factors that contribute to societal issues and reinforces the idea that it is solely the
    responsibility of individuals, particularly women, to address these problems.

    Furthermore, feminist criticism of the piece should highlight the unequal allocation of power between
    men and women, which contributes to Lynn's predicament. The story promotes the notion that women have
    little authority and are at the whim of larger, male-dominated institutions and systems. Lynn's stranding at a gas
    station as a result of a chemical industry explosion exposes the harmful and toxic effects of patriarchal systems
    on women's lives. The author's emphasis on Lynn's ignorance rather than bigger cultural and systemic concerns
    supports the notion that women are unaffected by these challenges and are exclusively responsible for their own
    troubles.

    Moreover, the language used to describe Lynn reinforces gender stereotypes. The use of words like
    "willful ignorance" and "passive" present Lynn as weak and lacking agency, which reinforces the idea that
    women are not capable of taking control of their own lives. The author's choice to describe Lynn as "part of a
    large majority" of people who are "willfully ignorant" further reinforces the idea that women are a
    homogeneous group and reinforces harmful gender stereotypes.

    The author's comparison of Lynn's situation to global warming is also problematic from a feminist
    perspective. The issue of global warming is a complex issue with multiple factors contributing to its persistence,
    yet the author presents it as solely an issue of individuals' ignorance. This reinforces the idea that individuals,
    particularly women, are solely responsible for larger societal issues and reinforces patriarchal power structures.
    In conclusion, the article's focus on Lynn's ignorance reinforces harmful gender stereotypes and
    reinforces patriarchal power structures. Feminist criticism of the article could point out these issues and
    highlight the ways in which patriarchal systems contribute to the unequal distribution of power and reinforce
    harmful gender stereotypes.

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