Écriture Feminine

Écriture feminine is a concept that was put forward by the French Feminist Helen Cixous, in her essay The Laugh of Medusa. So, what is écriture feminine? We couldn't say. The thing about this concept is that it cannot be defined. However, more or less it is something like this; the way women write supposedly creates a difference in the language that it should have its own name. It is obviously a controversial topic. In the simplest way, Cixous argues that women write through their bodies which creates a difference in the usage of the language compared to men. However, do we really want to go there? This now abandoned argument was unfortunately a way of competing with men using their rules to have listened.

Before opposing my heart out, I must say that I understand where this is coming from. Feminists at the time had a really big obstacle to come over. They weren't heard. They weren't taken seriously by the men. So they needed to do something. They had to attract attention to themselves so that they could cause any change. So they decided to use their tools against them. The patriarchal society turned their heads when heard about this concept. Men began to oppose it. They talked about it. They talked about feminism. They said "What is it? How does it work? Is it legitimate? If it's legitimate, how can I take it under my monopoly?" So, a conversation began. Écriture feminine is a problematic concept because it creates the same discrimination patriarchal rules have been creating forever. Though, it served as a step for feminism to be taken seriously as a theory by the male authority. Therefore, although it was highly doubted even within the feminists, it made a fuss. Though, let's not forget if we want to create a change we should be the change, meaning first we should change for the better. Écriture feminine was just the same brown beard painted in burning red.

Preview Picture: Mambrol, N. (2019, November 21). Ecriture feminine. Literary Theory and Criticism. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://literariness.org/2016/05/14/ecriture-feminine/