It is a novel where the concerns of women and womanhood are the alpha and the omega of the narrative but it also deals explicitly with stories, with the lives of women. Feminism cannot merely be about gender it must also be about equality in the fields of race and ethnicity, ability, sexuality, spirituality, class, and the many other markers of who we are.Ī feminist novel, however, is not only about who we are it must also be about how we live. And when we consider the needs of women, it is imperative to also consider the other identities a woman inhabits. They should be able to live their lives free from the threat of sexual violence. Women should be able to live in a society where their bodies are not legislated. When I say equality, I mean that women should be able to move through the world with the same ease as men. The answers could never be wholly satisfying.įeminism concerns the equality of women. Or perhaps we must ask the questions, “What is feminism?” and “What is the novel?” Or perhaps, these questions are not at all relevant. Or perhaps we must understand the nature of the novel.
To understand the feminist novel we must first understand feminism. Roxane Gay ▪ Fall 2014Īlice Walker speaking in 2010 (Kanaka Menehune / Flickr) Not every novel that concerns itself with the lives of women is a feminist novel.
