Feminist Critique of Love

There are certainly varying degrees of feminist culture, and this obviously renders varying notions of love from the feminist point of view in general. It is true that in most cases love and the ideologies surrounding it are in support of the main arguments in any feminist theory. When we think of love we don't necessarily think of the negative side of the token, though many feminists might argue in a critical manner that, "Love, perhaps even more than child bearing is the pivot of women's oppression today." (Firestone,43). In fact, many fronts of the feminist movements argue that love can be seen as the core oppressor in the heterosexual relationship.

The notion of love can be critiqued by a feminist as being something that preoccupies her. She 'pours' her energy into giving herself and her love, and in this sense it can be thought that instead of contributing as males contribute to culture, this is the female contribution.

Sojourner Truth, albumen silver print, circa 1870

English: The Austrian feminist Marie Lang, 1858-19...

Canon Love

That all men's accomplishments in thinking and creating were products of the woman's love. This way what woman's strives her entire life to provide sees product in the male achievement; which can model the cliché behind every good man is a good woman. So woman provide the backbone, or real substance of the work of men and this is what Firestone refers to as the 'parasitical relation' between the female and male class; both of whom are surviving off of what the other is providing.

The process of love itself is seen as the pinnacle of selfishness. The final stages of love involve complete openness physically and emotionally by demonstrating how you want to be treated. The selfishness in this sense is the attempts to improve one's self by means of another. In fact, this is not necessarily seen as a...