Volume 15, Issue 4 (2024)
LRR 2024, 15(4): 33-62 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Aminpour N, Sokhanvar J, Bordbari Z. Subversion of Unintelligible and Inevitable Male Gender Identity and Roles in Selected Plays by Tennessee Williams. LRR 2024; 15 (4) :33-62
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-56255-en.html
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-56255-en.html
1- Department of English Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of English Literature, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran ,nakhoslaj@gmail.com
3- Department of English Literature, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran
2- Department of English Literature, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran ,
3- Department of English Literature, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran
Abstract: (3981 Views)
The Butlerian theory of performativity and subversive performative acts has been always helped to consider the situation of female gender construction in the heteronormative cultures. The situation of male gender identity and roles in the bipolar cultures has not yet been studied and the hegemonic functional context of the heterosexuality was not considered to be effective in the construction of male gender identity and roles. In the light of Judith Butler’s theory, different male individuals are coming into consideration and the complimentary parts to the theory of performativity will be revealed. The present research is the first study of the male gender identities and roles in the light of the Butlerian theory of performativity to understand whether these individuals follow the same constructive elements and react performatively and subversively or not. The importance of the present research is that the representative of the matrix of power, as depicted by Williams, can be female individuals as well as male identities. In these cases, female characters attempt to oblige male gender identities to remain under the control of the heterosexism and understand the binaries that differentiates two intelligible gender identities. On the other hand, the variety of male gender identities that Williams illustrates, provide the opportunity to consider how male gender identity and roles react to the parodic acts and construct their identity through performative acts or subversive performativity. Another significant finding in this research is that to the time that homosexual male gender identities keep their lack of continuity among sex, gender, and sexual desire, they are allowed to live in the cultural context without receiving any harms.
Butler's theories are deeply influenced by earlier critical works from philosophers and theorists such as G.W.F. Hegel, Sigmund Freud, Simone de Beauvoir, Louis Althusser, and Michel Foucault. Hegel's dialectics, Freud's psychoanalysis, de Beauvoir's existential feminism, Althusser's concept of interpellation, and Foucault's discourse on power and sexuality collectively inform Butler's understanding of gender as a performative act.
While previous scholarship on Tennessee Williams's plays has predominantly focused on female characters, analyzing them through the lens of second-wave feminism and the patriarchal social hierarchy, this study shifts the focus to male characters. It investigates how Williams's male characters perform their gender identities and whether they conform to or subvert the heteronormative expectations imposed upon them. This research is pioneering in its systematic application of Butlerian performativity to male characters in Williams's dramatic works, offering a novel perspective on gender construction and performance.
Using Butler's theory of performativity as the analytical framework, this study examines how these male characters engage in repetitive acts that constitute their gender identities. These acts, dictated by the binarized matrix of power, often conform to the expectations of heteronormativity but also contain potential for subversion. The analysis focuses on how these characters navigate their identities through performative acts, either reinforcing or challenging the hegemonic norms.
For instance, the character of Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof exemplifies the struggle with heteronormative expectations of masculinity. Brick's ambivalence towards his own sexuality and his performative acts of repression and denial highlight the tensions between societal expectations and personal identity. Similarly, the character of Tom in The Glass Menagerie grapples with the constraints of his gender role, performing acts of rebellion that ultimately reveal the fluidity and instability of gender norms.
The study also explores how female characters in these plays occasionally assume the role of enforcing heteronormativity, attempting to define and control the gender identities and roles of male characters. For example, Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire seeks to impose traditional gender roles on her brother-in-law, Stanley, while simultaneously challenging his authority and masculinity. This dynamic illustrates the complex interplay of power, gender, and performativity in Williams's works.
One significant finding is that male characters in Williams's plays frequently engage in performative acts that challenge the coherence of the bipolar gender system. For instance, the character of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire performs hypermasculinity to assert his dominance, yet his actions also expose the fragility of such constructed identities. His aggressive behavior, while reinforcing traditional masculine traits, simultaneously reveals the performative nature of gender and its susceptibility to disruption.
Moreover, the study highlights how homosexual male characters in Williams's plays navigate their identities within the heteronormative framework. Characters like Brick and Tom illustrate the discontinuity between sex, gender, and sexual desire, maintaining a space for subversive performativity. This discontinuity allows them to exist within the cultural context without fully conforming to its expectations, thereby challenging the stability of heteronormative identities.
Another important observation is the role of female characters as representatives of the matrix of power, enforcing heteronormative roles onto male characters. This dynamic is particularly evident in the interactions between Blanche and Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, where Blanche's attempts to impose traditional gender norms on Stanley ultimately underscore the performative and fluid nature of gender identities.
The findings of this research contribute to a deeper understanding of gender construction and the interplay of power within theatrical representations. By examining how male characters in Williams's plays perform and subvert their gender identities, this study highlights the fluidity and complexity of gender and the potential for subversive acts to challenge the hegemony of heteronormativity.
Overall, this research underscores the importance of considering male gender identities in the context of Butlerian performativity, providing new insights into the ways in which gender is constructed, performed, and contested within heteronormative cultures. Through the analysis of Williams's diverse male characters, this study offers a valuable contribution to the ongoing discourse on gender, identity, and power.
- Introduction
- Literature Review
Butler's theories are deeply influenced by earlier critical works from philosophers and theorists such as G.W.F. Hegel, Sigmund Freud, Simone de Beauvoir, Louis Althusser, and Michel Foucault. Hegel's dialectics, Freud's psychoanalysis, de Beauvoir's existential feminism, Althusser's concept of interpellation, and Foucault's discourse on power and sexuality collectively inform Butler's understanding of gender as a performative act.
While previous scholarship on Tennessee Williams's plays has predominantly focused on female characters, analyzing them through the lens of second-wave feminism and the patriarchal social hierarchy, this study shifts the focus to male characters. It investigates how Williams's male characters perform their gender identities and whether they conform to or subvert the heteronormative expectations imposed upon them. This research is pioneering in its systematic application of Butlerian performativity to male characters in Williams's dramatic works, offering a novel perspective on gender construction and performance.
- Methodology and Argument
Using Butler's theory of performativity as the analytical framework, this study examines how these male characters engage in repetitive acts that constitute their gender identities. These acts, dictated by the binarized matrix of power, often conform to the expectations of heteronormativity but also contain potential for subversion. The analysis focuses on how these characters navigate their identities through performative acts, either reinforcing or challenging the hegemonic norms.
For instance, the character of Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof exemplifies the struggle with heteronormative expectations of masculinity. Brick's ambivalence towards his own sexuality and his performative acts of repression and denial highlight the tensions between societal expectations and personal identity. Similarly, the character of Tom in The Glass Menagerie grapples with the constraints of his gender role, performing acts of rebellion that ultimately reveal the fluidity and instability of gender norms.
The study also explores how female characters in these plays occasionally assume the role of enforcing heteronormativity, attempting to define and control the gender identities and roles of male characters. For example, Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire seeks to impose traditional gender roles on her brother-in-law, Stanley, while simultaneously challenging his authority and masculinity. This dynamic illustrates the complex interplay of power, gender, and performativity in Williams's works.
- Findings and Discussion
One significant finding is that male characters in Williams's plays frequently engage in performative acts that challenge the coherence of the bipolar gender system. For instance, the character of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire performs hypermasculinity to assert his dominance, yet his actions also expose the fragility of such constructed identities. His aggressive behavior, while reinforcing traditional masculine traits, simultaneously reveals the performative nature of gender and its susceptibility to disruption.
Moreover, the study highlights how homosexual male characters in Williams's plays navigate their identities within the heteronormative framework. Characters like Brick and Tom illustrate the discontinuity between sex, gender, and sexual desire, maintaining a space for subversive performativity. This discontinuity allows them to exist within the cultural context without fully conforming to its expectations, thereby challenging the stability of heteronormative identities.
Another important observation is the role of female characters as representatives of the matrix of power, enforcing heteronormative roles onto male characters. This dynamic is particularly evident in the interactions between Blanche and Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, where Blanche's attempts to impose traditional gender norms on Stanley ultimately underscore the performative and fluid nature of gender identities.
- Conclusion
The findings of this research contribute to a deeper understanding of gender construction and the interplay of power within theatrical representations. By examining how male characters in Williams's plays perform and subvert their gender identities, this study highlights the fluidity and complexity of gender and the potential for subversive acts to challenge the hegemony of heteronormativity.
Overall, this research underscores the importance of considering male gender identities in the context of Butlerian performativity, providing new insights into the ways in which gender is constructed, performed, and contested within heteronormative cultures. Through the analysis of Williams's diverse male characters, this study offers a valuable contribution to the ongoing discourse on gender, identity, and power.
Keywords: performativity, male gender proliferation, Judith Butler, subversion, Tennessee Williams, interpellation
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |