Feminist theory looks into the ways texts undermine women. Restraining them and putting them into boxes that a patriarchal society would deem is appropriate for them. These boxes can be economic, political, social and even psychological. Much of feminist theory is in response to the patriarchy, which is a society that it dominated by men and where women are seen as secondary.
Despite feminist theorists attempts to shed light on disparities, many people have made a mockery of feminism and think of it as a very exclusive theory. They believe that feminism was created in order to put women above men, when in reality it is only working to make men and women equal. In the patriarchy the male experience is the standard and all else is lesser. False binaries and stereotypes are created between men and women, correlating the male experience with strength, intelligence and dominance. Whereas the female experience correlates with weakness, emotion and submission. False binaries are even put between women. If they are not one thing that falls into one of the boxes put around them, they are labeled as something negative. Women are cast in a traditional, nurturing and motherly role and anything besides that is not valuable in a patriarchal society.
Kate Millett was an American feminist author and educator, arguing that gender is nothing but a construct, which subverts the idea of traditional patriarchal values. While sex is biological, gender is social and both men and women do not have to conform to being either masculine or feminine. This is also reinforced by Margaret Fuller when she says “there is no fully masculine male, no fully feminine female.” This gives weigh to the idea of masculinity and femininity being on a spectrum, eliminating the hard lines drawn by patriarchal views. 