Subversion of gender role in Jeanette Winterson's Gut Symmetries

Abstract

Theresear chertries to subvert the traditional notion of gender role in Jeanette Winter son's Gut Symmetries by putting the lesbianism face to face with heterosexuality. The projection of lesbianism revolves around the lives of three central characters: Jove, Alice and Stella. Jove and Stella are married couple, and Alice is a young physicist, who gets involved with the couple.Aliceadopts homosexual affair with Stella and rejects heterosexual relationship with Jove.Further more Alice appears to be a heroic figure who wears Jove's leather coat to blur the conventional gender role.The anti-patriarchal acts of major female characters deconstruct the hierarchical division between male and female which heterosexists regardas assignment at birth. In this reference, the novel serves Stella as a bread earner of the family but not Jove. Thus, the act of cross-dressing, the adaptation of lesbian bond between Alice and Stella and act of transgendering subvert the traditional notion of heterosexuality which is embedded with patriarchal ideology.