Question

Elaine Showalter divides women’s literary history into how many phases?

• A. Two
• B. Three
• C. Four
• D. Five

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Three

Elaine Showalter divided women's literary history into three phases: the Feminine, Feminist, and Female phases. 

Feminine phase

• Time period: 1840–1880 

• Characteristics: Women wrote to match the intellectual achievements of men, and adopted male assumptions about women 

• Writing style: Women wrote under male pseudonyms, and didn't openly acknowledge their writing 

Feminist phase 

• Time period: 1880–1920

• Characteristics: Women wrote to protest male values and standards, and to advocate for women's rights and values

Female phase 

• Time period: 1920–present

• Characteristics: Women rejected imitation and protest, and instead turned to their own experiences as the source of their art

Showalter believed that feminist criticism should be based on a cultural perspective that recognizes the diversity of women's experiences. She also believed that women's writing has the potential to challenge and transform dominant cultural norms and values.