Words by Isabel Cattermole
Feminist literature has long been used as a weapon for change, urging readers to question ideas about gender, power, and identity. From Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex to Margaret Atwood’s formidable The Handmaid’s Tale, feminist classics explore various genres and themes. Whilst it would be impossible to list every accomplished feminist writer, I’ll attempt to explore the evolution of some of my personal favourite feminist books.
Over the years, feminist literature has evolved into a more inclusive, diverse field, reflecting the intricate realities of gender as it intersects with race, class, and other identities. Examining this evolution reveals not just a shift in stories but a redefinition of the boundaries of activism and storytelling.
Laying the foundations with feminist classics
While influenced by strong female writers such as Virginia Woolf and Mary Wollstonecraft, when The Second Sex was published in 1949, it was revolutionary. De Beauvoir’s bold statement, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman,” challenged the deeply entrenched belief that gender roles were natural. Her work sparked a wave of new feminist thought, shifting how society viewed the lives of women and influencing decades of writing to come. The idea that women’s roles are shaped by society rather than biology would become a central theme in feminist literature’s earliest stages.
Following de Beauvoir, other writers continued to push boundaries, and feminist literature grew in its ambition and reach. Books like Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique and Kate Millett’s Sexual Politics addressed issues of domestic life, sexuality, and oppression in ways that resonated with the lived experiences of many women in Western societies. However, these foundational texts are often criticised for centring white, middle-class women’s perspectives, and thus disregarding the voices of women of colour, working-class women, and others who did not fit neatly into this narrative.
The Intersectional Turn
In the 1980s and 90s, feminist literature experienced a significant shift with the emergence of intersectionality, a concept coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw. Intersectionality argues that women’s experiences with oppression were not monolithic but rather shaped by a range of social identities, including race, class, and sexuality. Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, a personal favourite of mine, brought this concept to life, pushing the feminist movement to recognise the diversity of women’s experiences and address its blind spots. Her work, which famously claims “there is no hierarchy of oppressions,” urges the feminist movement to respect the unique struggles of all women, including those marginalised by race and sexuality. Similarly, Bell Hook’s Ain’t I a Woman? critiques the movement’s exclusion of Black women and offers a powerful exploration of how racism and sexism intersect in ways that the mainstream feminist movement often overlooked. These writers didn’t just expand the feminist conversation – they fundamentally altered its course, paving the way for richer, more inclusive feminist literature.
Modern Feminist Fiction and Memoir
Memoirs have also become a vital component of contemporary feminist literature, allowing writers to connect personal stories to larger social themes. Books such as Roxane Gay’s Hunger, Chanel Miller’s Know My Name, and Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House offer intimate accounts of trauma, survival, and identity. These deeply personal stories remind us that feminist literature is as much about individual voices as it is about collective movements.
Today, feminist essays and cultural criticism have become a powerful means of tackling how gender issues intersect with technology, media, and pop culture. In Trick Mirror, Jia Tolentino dissects the contradictions of modern womanhood, exploring the pressures and paradoxes of social media and online “wokeness”. Laura Bates’ Everyday Sexism further illustrates how sexism persists across all aspects of daily life. These works push readers to question not just sexism but the ways capitalism and digital culture shape women’s experiences in the modern world.
The evolution of feminist literature reveals just how far the movement has come. Whilst it’s amazing to look back at foundational books that have led to such profound thinking, there is still a long way to go until all voices are heard.
Another article you may enjoy: Breaking the Silence: The Impact of Banned Books