What does anti-feminist writing mean?
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Answer
What does anti-feminist writing mean? [NU: 2020]
Anti-feminist writing means literature that resists women’s rights or equality. It often shows women as weak, silent, or secondary to men. In John Osborne’s (1929–1994) play “Look Back in Anger” (1956), Jimmy Porter’s behavior reflects such anti-feminist patterns.
Jimmy’s Cruelty to Alison: Jimmy Porter often humiliates Alison with cruel language. His words cut deep and show power. In Act I, he says:
“If you could have a child, and it would die… if only I could watch you face that.”
This shocking wish reduces Alison to silence and pain. Instead of love, she receives abuse. Jimmy’s cruelty reflects anti-feminist writing, where women become victims of male anger. Alison, despite her suffering, accepts his behavior quietly.
Marriage as Conflict, Not Partnership: Their marriage is built on anger, not equality. Alison admits in Act II:
“Some people do actually marry for revenge.”
She married Jimmy partly to rebel against her upper-class family. Yet she suffers most from this revenge. Jimmy treats her as an enemy, not a wife. This unequal marriage shows women trapped in conflict. They are unable to find freedom. Anti-feminist writing often presents marriage as a cage for women.
Women as Escape or Burden: Jimmy sees women either as burden or an escape. In Act III, he says:
“We’ll be together in our bear’s cave, or our squirrel’s drey.”
This childish fantasy reduces Alison to a comfort object, not an equal partner. She becomes a getaway from Jimmy’s frustration, not someone shaping life with him. Anti-feminist writing often denies women’s independence. It leaves them as symbols of relief or suffering.
In short, in “Look Back in Anger”, anti-feminist writing is seen in Jimmy’s cruelty, his unequal marriage with Alison, and his childish fantasies. Alison is not treated as an equal. She is pushed into silence, pain, or used only for comfort in Jimmy’s male-centered world.