Introduction Chapter 1: Feminism

Conclusion
Explicating a variety of examples in which Gilbert uses the concept of female empowerment to stimulate female consumption, this thesis has attempted to foreground the dangerous alliance between post-feminism and spiritual consumerism in Eat, Pray, Love. A concise definition of the terms gender, femininity and masculinity, and gender performativity have been provided in order to establish a conceptual framework. An overview of the development of the self-help industry has shown us that it has consistently targeted women throughout history. This industry has gained financial success by relying on, and reinforcing, stereotypical gender roles and it has in no way proven to contribute to feminist discourse.
The underlying messages in Gilbert’s text have been compared to those found in self-help books from the 1950s onward, namely, if women are unhappy and unsuccessful, they have to follow instructions found in these texts in order to obtain happiness. In the 1950s that meant knowing how to successfully maintain relationships, whereas now that means achieving spiritual enlightenment.
Similar to the self-help industry, Gilbert’s text represents relationships that are constructed in ways that reiterate very traditional views on the male/female dichotomy. Gilbert ends her marriage because she wants autonomy, however, at the end of her journey, comes to the revelation that she has always wanted a male figure to take care of her. Throughout the text, Gilbert does not reject male authority and approval, rather, seeks it in the shape of Richard, Ketut and Felipe. Moreover, Gilbert’s descriptions of local boys and girls are rife with assumptions of masculinity and femininity, as well as her presumptive perception of male/female relations. Gilbert describes women as fragile, sweet, and pretty, and men as strong, independent, and irrepressible.
Where feminism in the 1950s and 1960s inspired self-help books to reformulate their messages, mainstream feminism is now being used commercially, to serve the economy. Precisely due to this commercialization, women are now being exploited rather than being empowered. This exploitation is made possible as a result of neoliberalism’s impact on popular feminism, which has created a shift from what Goodkind refers to as “outside the self,” to “within the self” (401). This means that internal factors, rather than external factors, such as an unequal labor market and an gender assymetrical society, are the cause of women’s lack of happiness. This shift has reinforced women’s marginalization, because it denies any societal responsibility.
The denial of this responsibility is one of the reasons some women are still vulnerable to self-help texts, and why this industry is evergrowing. Self-help texts offer solutions to internal factors, by presenting spiritualism as a product, something you can buy to solve your problems. Gilbert’s text employs this spiritual consumerism through numerous ways. Gilbert’s intention of writing a book about her spiritual journey, and her publisher funding this journey, already functions as evidence that Gilbert intentionally linked spiritualism to financial success. Although she admits traveling to three different countries is a bit radical, she also expresses that is is necessary if you really desire spiritual growth. On this journey, she seems to consume her way through spiritualism, eating away in Italy, instantly demanding enlightenment from her Guru, her need for “pretty power . . . like a meditating Barbie” and exhibits a lack of cultural awareness and denial of local culture (252).
Representations of locals in Eat, Pray, Love are often racialized and gendered, which reinforces the idea that Gilbert is not self-reflexive, seeing as she does not realize her text is riddled with cultural appropriation. Locals are represented through Gilbert’s voice, and these representations are constructed in ways in which local voices are inferior to that of Gilbert. Gilbert is portrayed as always educating locals, and providing financial aid to locals in need, thereby establishing a power dynamic in which Gilbert is superior to natives. She also uses local culture to justify her own decisions, such as seen in her interpretation of her dream.
The interpretation of the symbolism behind Gilbert’s dream is essential, because it creates a union of spiritualism and consumerism, as she uses that dream to – spiritually – justify her decision to end her journey and start a life with her new lover. It is as if she is trying to say: ‘If you meditate enough, you will find love and dine with him in expensive places, and your Guru will be proud of you because that was the endgoal of all that soul-searching’.
It is not hard to imagine why a lot of single women in the United States and everywhere else in the world jumped on board and wanted a piece of the Eat, Pray, Love experience. However, not everyone is that well-off and can afford to leave their jobs and families to travel for a whole year. Because of this, an entire industry emerged around Eat, Pray, Love, that targets those who want to go on this journey but cannot afford it. Many different products such as soaps, perfumes, and other beauty items have been sold as ways to still be part of that experience, even though they have little to do with Gilbert’s travels. Gilbert’s aforementioned support of this industry illustrates her lack of accountability for commercializing spiritualism and independence, thereby supporting an industry that is aimed at exploiting women that seek happiness through Gilbert’s . Reference
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