42 pages • 1 hour read
Silvia FedericiCaliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Silvia Federici's Caliban and the Witch explores the European transition from feudalism to capitalism, emphasizing women's roles and witch-hunting within this shift. Using Marxist-feminist theory, Federici argues that the new patriarchal order devalued reproductive work and transformed the body into a machine to be exploited. Resistance to capitalist and colonial oppression is a central theme, highlighting peasant and Indigenous women's struggles against exploitation and witch hunts. The book warns of violence, especially sexual violence.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Silvia Federici’s Caliban and the Witch is lauded for its compelling and radical reinterpretation of history, highlighting the link between witch hunts, women's oppression, and capitalism's development. Critics appreciate its depth and feminist perspective, though some find its theoretical density challenging. Overall, the work is influential and thought-provoking.
Who Should Read Caliban and the Witch?
Readers who would enjoy Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici are those interested in feminist theory, Marxist analysis, and historical perspectives on gender and capitalism. Comparable to The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State by Engels and Gender Trouble by Butler, it appeals to scholars of social justice and radical history.