The Evolution of Feminist Literature in the 21st Century: A Critical Analysis of Postmodern Feminist Texts

Abstract

The evolution of feminist literature in the twenty-first century reflects a significant shift toward postmodern and intersectional frameworks that challenge essentialist notions of gender, power, and well-being. This study critically examines contemporary postmodern feminist texts to explore how literary discourse reconfigures dominant understandings of female subjectivity, agency, and flourishing. Employing a feminist critical discourse analysis combined with thematic content analysis, the research analyzes a diverse corpus of postmodern feminist novels, short stories, and poetry. The findings reveal that these texts consistently disrupt patriarchal narratives by foregrounding relational, eudaimonic, and intersectional conceptions of well-being rather than purely hedonic or individualistic models. Narrative strategies such as historiographic metafiction, fragmentation, and multiperspectivity are shown to function as key tools for exposing power structures and amplifying marginalized voices. Moreover, the analysis highlights a sustained critique of neoliberal feminism, emphasizing collective resistance and structural transformation over individualized empowerment. By integrating literary theory with well-being scholarship, this study demonstrates how postmodern feminist literature operates as a critical cultural site for reimagining women’s lived experiences and social possibilities. The research contributes to feminist literary criticism by offering empirical and theoretical insights into the evolving relationship between narrative form, intersectionality, and contemporary feminist thought.