Performativity of Gender in Fay Weldon’s The Life and Loves of a She- Devil
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Department of English
Abstract
Fay Weldon's The Life and Loves of a She-Devil is about the female body and the gender perspective related to the body constructed by the society. Gender or sex is not a natural construct, but it is the role that is assigned to us to perform in the society. For instance, men are assigned perform their role as bread earners for the family whereas women are assigned the role of the caretakers of their family and their homes. To prove this hypothesis, this research uses Judith Butler's concept of gender trouble and performantivity of sex locating the idea in her book Gender Trouble. The novel discusses the problems of gender strategy constructed by the society. Ruth performs her role as a wife and a housewife, Mary as a beautiful damsel and Bobbo as a man torn between love and lust. These are the roles that are given to them according to the concept that was established at that time. The gender is not a natural construct, but it is a concept that the society assigns us to perform. We are man and woman because of the roles that we perform after we are born.