Which of the following denote the three phases of literary feminism according to Elain Showalter?
[A] Feminine
[B] Gynie
[C] Womanish
[D] Feminist
[E] Female
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

The correct option is A, D and E only, which corresponds to the Feminine, Feminist, and Female phases.

In her seminal work of feminist literary criticism, A Literature of Their Own (1977), the American literary scholar Elaine Showalter outlines the historical development of women's writing by dividing it into three distinct chronological and developmental phases:
1. The Feminine Phase (1840-1880): During this period, women writers imitated the dominant male aesthetic standards. They internalized the prevailing social and literary conventions of their time, and many wrote under male pseudonyms (such as George Eliot and the Brontë sisters) to ensure their work was accepted and respected.
2. The Feminist Phase (1880-1920): In this phase, women writers used literature as a medium to protest against social injustices, political inequality, and systemic patriarchy. This period was marked by advocacy for women's rights, including the suffragette movement, and the depiction of the struggles faced by women in a male-dominated society.
3. The Female Phase (1920-present): In this final phase, women writers rejected both the imitation of the feminine phase and the protest of the feminist phase. Instead, they focused on exploring unique female experiences, psychology, and self-identity, working to establish a distinct and autonomous female perspective and aesthetic.