A journey into feminist criticism

Yesterday in one of my classes, there was a group presentation on feminist criticism. Loved it. They gave an amazing example of it with an exegesis of the story of Esther, turning it inside out with the exploration of who really had the power in the story and who got the credit for it. Amazing.

I suppose that I'm a feminist in some ways...as a woman entering ministry, I have to be to some degree! I can't say that I identify with the extremism out there, or that I fully know enough about feminism to completely label myself as one. Just put that on the list of things to figure out...

But the presentation brought back a memory from last semester (which for me, was undergrad). In my previous life, I was an English major, and by the end I was hooked. The novels...the analysis...even the papers...challenges that I loved. In one particular class, which I took solely because I loved the professor and Flannery O'Connor was on the syllabus, I think I got my first taste of feminist criticism.

The book was Bailey's Cafe by Gloria Naylor. Beautiful writing - I recommend her books! I was following the story fine; a woman, Eve, was running a home of sorts for women, with a huge garden in the back. Each chapter told the story of each of the women: Eve, who was kicked out of the house by Godfather. Mary, a beautiful girl turned into a prostitute by her own father. Esther, who was forced into a marriage by her brother so he could prosper. Jessie Bell, who married into a family that took over her life, especially Uncle Eli, who took her son from her. Miriam (called Mary), who is found pregnant despite her claims to still be a virgin. Saddening and heart-wrenching stories of women who have been abused and violated in various ways. Parts of it nearly brought me to tears.

Then in class, my professor asked what we thought of the names of the characters. At that moment, my world was turned upside down. I hadn't made the connection that they were all connected to the Bible, and then how similar their stories were to those in the Bible. It was one of those moments of enlightenment; I still remember it clearly! Suddenly, the Bible had a new twist on it. I started to see the other side of these stories which I had heard for years, encountering the "what ifs" and uncomfortable details that no one voiced.

I don't claim at all that the book is factual. It is a work of fiction. But we don't know the full story behind what's in the Bible, what those stories meant for the women in them. And it was this book that opened my eyes to that criticism, to the world of heartbreak and pain that lies beyond the words on the page, to a new level of androcentrism that has been used to suppress women for hundreds (thousands?) of years.

My journey into feminist criticism is still continuing, but my next step will be to re-read this book. And I recommend it for any of you out there who are looking for a provocative work of fiction. I love the fact that God uses so many avenues to teach me new things...

And I should probably email that professor to thank him.