The Metaphorical Lesbi Edna Pontellier In The Awakening Analysis

In the essay, “The Metaphorical Lesbian: Edna Pontellier in The Awakening by Elizabeth LeBlanc, LeBlanc outlines the general idea of the metaphorical lesbian as well as how it applies to Edna Pontellier. In LeBlanc’s analysis of the Gender Criticism and the Metaphorical Lesbian she begins by describing the academic validity of the general concept of gender criticism and more specifically the transition of feminism to gender studies. She justifies the change due to the publishing of Between Men by author and gender critic Eve Kosofsky. This book was influential and covered themes like the idea of, “feminist criticism onto those of gay-male studies” (Chopin 223). LeBlanc discuss the fact that many people have problems, for a variety of reasons,

She also discuss the key differences in terms of gender versus sex as people identify their gender while they are born as a certain sex. Yet another difference that is discussed is between the ideas of constructivist versus essentialist views. Essentialists focus that on a basic level men and women are different, in contrast constructionists believe that men and women are only different because of characteristics that are developed. The author describes how this can become controversial as some feminists believe that we should celebrate the difference between women and men while other feminists and most gender critics believe that we are all the same fundamentally and that, that should be the focus. LeBlanc then moves to discuss languages role in the feminist and gender critic discussion. The author discuss the idea of women writing for men and vice versu. She explains that feminists, such as Nancy K Miller, believe that men can not write from a woman's perspective, but most gender critics would disagree, inversely believing that it is possible for men to write from a woman’s perspective and vice