The use of literary criticism has served to provide different lenses to analyze, evaluate, and interpret the content and context of the written text in all its forms and varieties, especially in children's and young adult (YA) literature. This study was aimed at analyzing the way in which "Feminist Criticism" may be applied to young adult (YA) literature, as a lens to understand women's experience through female character representations. It also aimed at highlighting the importance of critical theory and transformative learning as a means to provide classroom experiences and resources geared towards deeper learning and transferable knowledge in the teaching of ESL. The study used a critical content analysis methodology, via Feminist Literary Criticism to categorize female character representations found in the Suggested Literature Connections of the Content Standards and Expectations of the Puerto Rico Core Standards (PRCS). The findings revealed that female character representations ranged from conforming to traditional gender roles to contesting traditional gender roles. A predominant theme throughout the narratives under study revealed that women are expected to fulfill the domestic life as nurturers, care-takers, being influential and supportive in the lives of their children, husbands, and in society. This study emphasizes the importance of the use of feminist literary criticism as an approach that can promote transformative learning in a classroom environment that raises awareness on the importance of literacy, specifically, critical literacy. Therefore, "reading against the grain," incorporating critical lenses other than reader-response may enable the student to attain deeper meaning, transferable knowledge, dialogic engagement, metacognitive awareness, and ultimately transformative learning that will shake the students' mindsets and recalibrate schemes that have been embedded as a result of social programming. Since concepts, such as identity, self-concept, and character development are core themes in the curriculum, then the choice of relevant and pertinent literature for young adults should be evaluated as a mechanism to align content material to its objectives. There is an urgent need to evaluate and incorporate YA literature that portrays female characters that break away from traditional gender roles. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]