What does it mean to be a woman writer and a literary author in a society dominated by patriarchy? A. Looking at the story of Snow White, Snow White is seen as gentle and stupid while the Queen is fierce and crazy. b. Both of these character types are prevalent in literary history and have kept women from responding. 2. Writers look to their predecessors for literary inspiration and guidance. A. An “anxiety of influences” does indeed arise and seems to influence the work of writers. b. Harold Bloom has a theory that a “strong poet” must engage with his or her literary “precursor.” 3. “Bloom's model of literary history is intensely (if not exclusively) masculine and necessarily patriarchal” (1928). A. The male poet uses the woman as his muse. b. Literary history is predominantly male, which leads to “anxiety of influence”. c. How does a woman fit into a literary history dominated by men? 1. Female poets do not feel “anxiety of influence.” 2. She must reduce stereotypes in her writing. 3. Instead of “anxiety of influence,” she experiences “anxiety of