The Ultimate Feminist Guide to Books, Movies, and Music

The pop culture feminist curriculum we all need.

BOOKS:

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Adapted from Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TEDx talk, this book talks about the definition of feminism in the 21st century, which is one of inclusivity that comes from a wide range of experiences and people.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic novel documenting author Marjane Satrapi’s childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. Marjane focuses on the theme of survival and resilience as a young woman under an oppressive government.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel written by poet Sylvia Plath that follows a woman’s experience and journey with insanity. The novel is a hauntingly realistic exploration of the human psyche.

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

The Second Sex was written by French existentialist Simone de Beauvoir and is often seen as the starting point of second-wave feminism. The book documents the treatment of women throughout history, up until 1949 when it was published.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel that explores the resistance of women under patriarchal subjection. It is a novel about protecting autonomy and independence in even the most restrictive circumstances.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Published in 1963, The Feminine Mystique is a non-fiction book that helped spark the second-wave feminist movement in the United States. It voices the unsatisfied opinions of suburban women, debunking the assumption that women could find fulfillment through housework, marriage, and child-rearing.

This Bridge Called My Back edited by Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa

This Bridge Called My Back explores feminism through women of color, featuring their essays, criticism, interviews, testimonials, poetry, and art. This book explores the changing economic and social conditions of women of color in the US and around the world.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Professor Roxane Gay published this collection of essays in 2014 in which she examines her identity as a feminist and how she grapples with things she loves that may come in conflict with that identity.

Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks

bell hooks evaluates the successes and failures of contemporary feminism, covering a wide variety of topics from reproductive rights to sexuality.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is a fiction novel published in 1868, following the lives of four sisters, and centers particularly around writer Jo, who broke through as a published author in a male-dominated industry.

MOVIES:

Whale Rider (2002)

Whale Rider stars a 12-year old Māori girl whose ambition is to be the chief of her tribe, but her grandfather believes that only men can assume this role. This is a movie about breaking traditional thinking and showing female capability.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

The Joy Luck Club is a film surrounding the relationships of Chinese-American women and their immigrant mothers. The film highlights the beauty of the mother-daughter bond and the balancing of two cultures.

A League of Their Own (1992)

A League of Their Own is the fictionalized account of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, focusing on an all-female baseball league in the midwest during WWII.

Hidden Figures (2016)

Hidden Figures is a biographical drama film starring three African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind early spaceflight.

Iron Jawed Angels (2004)

Iron Jawed Angels is a docudrama that follows the journey of suffragist Alice Paul and how she fought for the female vote in America, leading to the passage of the 19th Amendment.

Miss Representation (2011)

This documentary discusses the reality of sexism in American media, featuring interviews from women such as Jane Fonda and Katie Couric, and talks about the consequences of the underrepresentation of women in media.

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry (2014)

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry is a documentary about the women’s liberation movement in the 1960’s, highlighting the essential activists who relentlessly fought for the cause.

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

On the Basis of Sex is a biographical drama film that follows Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg through her journey into the court and the cases that shape her legacy today.

The Color Purple (1985)

The Color Purple is a film based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name written by Alice Walker. It tells the story of a young African American girl and the problems that African American women faced in the 20th century.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

This psychological horror film follows a young FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, as she works with a serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, to apprehend another serial killer on the loose. Through Clarice’s character, the film is able to highlight difficulties of women in a male-dominated workplace and show how Clarice successfully overcomes them.

MUSIC: