GSF 299S: Feminist Theory Students Submit Creative Midterms

The last of three prompts on the Spring 2026 GSF 299S: Feminist Theory take-home midterm asked students:

 

"You must explain feminist theory in a down-to-earth, non-alienating way to a family member over a meal or coffee/tea. How would you do it in 300 words? Your answer should be informed by class material from Weeks 1-5 but do not use author names, quotes, jargon, or references. Use your own words"

 

These are some of their responses, which are presented here with student permission.

 

Beginning in the top left corner, an image displays women throwing various cosmetic and feminine products, including false lashes and stilettos, into a bin labeled “Freedom Trash Can.” The image was captured at an Anti-American Beauty Pageants protest. Pasted in the bottom corner of the image is a drawing of two human silhouettes containing symbols for the sexes overlapping, symbolizing the difference between sex and gender, which is an oft-discussed topic in Feminist Theory. Located in the top right corner of the collage is a photo of Angela Y. Davis, a key figure of race, class, sexuality and gender to be considered together historically intersectionality, a concept that calls for the recognition and weighing of several minority identities and their impact. In between the top two images is a magazine headline reading “Las Chicanas,” with a byline “women in action.” The Chicana movement is noteworthy for calling on Chicanos and others to recognize the impacts of being both a woman and a racial minority, like Davis’s analysis of intersectionality. Beneath the magazine cutout is a script from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, titled the “Cool Girl Monologue,” which includes several statements about the desires of men concerning how women should act. Male expectations of women are repeatedly opposed by Feminist Theorists, who abhor any one definition of what a woman is, let alone what a woman should be; this topic is also addressed by the adjacent image of the monologue from Barbie. The following image is a poster depicting a young girl playing, with the headline “Smash the Patriarchy,” which is important for several reasons. For one, it reflects Feminist Theory’s identification of the patriarchy as the perpetuator of female oppression; for another, a young girl holds a traditionally “masculine” toy—the hammer—challenging one-dimensional opinions of women’s interests. Below, an image of Elvis Presley ogling a faceless female’s legs reflects the concept of the “male gaze,” a term relating to the objectification of women in life and in media. The bottom row depicts different fields of feminism: Marxist Feminism, Radical Feminism, and Liberal Feminism. The core of feminism, as with all reform movements, is the importance of protests.

 

For this final section I chose to write a song (lyrics above). This song is based in a reinterpretation of the biblical story of Eve where Lilith (a mythological previous wife of Adam) is the serpent that tempts Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. I thought this story is very fitting for some of the main themes of feminist theory, specifically that disobeying power structures can materially harm women, but it is necessary to create change in the future. Additionally, in recontextualizing this story by making Lilith the serpent, it is another woman, one whose had been stuck in the same system of power but found a way out herself, encouraging Eve to become more aware of her position in a growing patriarchy.

Imagine you are handed a recipe, and you are told that this is the only way you can cook this dish your entire life. It tells you exactly what ingredients to use, the temperature you are supposed to cook at, and what the final fish should be and taste like. Generally, people treat this recipe as if it is common sense and natural. However, feminism starts off with questioning the recipe. It starts to look at the context, including who wrote the recipe, who benefits from it, and who it was written for. Usually, the rules that people are told to live by, whether it relates to work or how people are treated, provide opportunity to some but place struggle on others. It is important to pay attention to how these rules affect different groups, such as women, but also various subgroups based on race, class, and sexuality. 

 

Society finds it easy to blame the people who can’t seem to follow the recipe rather than wondering what is preventing them from doing so. We are so used to the societal structures set up for us that it can become difficult for us to question it. Feminist theory looks into the role inequality plays and the systems that were designed with a specific demographic in mind. It points out that these systems, along with gender, race, and class form our personal experiences and impact our relationships with others.

 

The goal of feminism is not to force everyone to follow the recipe a certain way, but to provide an understanding that despite what kitchen, ingredients, or traditions you have, you are able to make that dish your own. It is about the ability for everyone to experience fairness, respect, and dignity despite their differences. 
 

Feminist theory is based,

on noticing patterns we’re taught to look past.

On wondering why some people are raised

as a runner who wins the race fast.

 

While others instead are slowed down,

given a rag and just told,

to shine someone else’s crown,

To sit still and not be bold.

 

It understands that even as girls,

We didn’t all start the same,

There are braids, and buns, and curls,

All told must be tame.

 

It doesn’t just stop there,

Some know survival in more than one tongue,

It was never meant to be fair,

Some have known struggle since they were young.

 

This is more than pink and blue,

It’s class and sexuality and race,

Politics and bodies, too,

Why be treated by the color on our face?

 

So I will stop the rhyme,

To make due time,

Because it is important to clarify

What feminist theory does not claim.

 

That womanhood is a uniform experience.

Because not everyone is born in equal fairness or in fun,

And ignoring that only protects,

The most comfortable of the ton.

 

 

I would start by explaining that feminist theory tries to understand why women and people who do not fit traditional gender expectations have often experienced unequal treatment and how these patterns developed over time. People can identify these trends in everyday life, including work, relationships, media, and laws, and they can ask why certain roles became normal and who benefits from them. Feminist theory also challenges the assumption that gender remains simple and fixed. Closer inspection reveals that biology and social expectations contain many layers that sometimes conflict with one another. People do not always fit into neat categories, yet societies build rules around them that often create alienation. These rules shape lives in meaningful ways, so understanding and questioning them matters.

 

Feminist theory also examines history by tracing how expectations of women have shifted over time. Earlier movements often focused on the experiences of narrower groups, especially white, middle-class women, but later perspectives pushed for attention to race, wealth, and background because these factors shape experiences differently. People often encounter challenges across multiple aspects of identity simultaneously rather than within gender alone. Feminist theory also investigates how economic systems influence gender expectations by asking why societies value certain forms of labor more than others or how financial inequality limits personal freedom. Even where progress exists, these questions remain relevant because unequal expectations and opportunities persist.

 

So overall, feminist theory is less about memorizing ideas and more about noticing patterns so we can question assumptions, understand different perspectives, and think of possibly better ways to structure society.