Feminist literary criticism examines how literature represents women and gender, and how patriarchal power structures influence literary works and their interpretation. It launched in the 20th century with works like Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own and Kate Millett's Sexual Politics. Key ideas include that patriarchy oppresses women economically, politically, socially and psychologically through ideology, and defines women in opposition to male norms. Feminist criticism aims to promote gender equality by raising awareness of these issues in literature and representation.