Subversion of Conventional Gender Roles in Naomi Alderman's The Power
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Central Department of English
Abstract
This research examines the issue of subversion ofconventionalgender roles through
main characters likeRoxy, Allie, Margot and Tunde inNaomi Alderman'sThe Power(2017).
Women appear asmothers, winners, owners, protectors, and recipients. Men areportrayed
assons, slaves,victims, loser,and sacrifice. In a sense, Alderman reverses the traditional
concept ofpower politics,culture, sexual role,history,and literature in the identity of
women.Both men and women in power always tryto create their ownsocialdiscourse,
knowledge, identity,history, literature and nation. It relates to human nature and human
psychology.In the matriarchal world, men are not permitted to vote, to drive a car, to move
own business and to gather together. It depictsthe reversal of sexual roles, matriarchal
design of power politics, Goddess inthe West, women in war, women as protectors and
patrons. So,the researcher applies the theoretical approach of Gender Studies with the ideas
of theorists likeJudith Butler, Judith Halberstam, David Glover and Cora Kaplanto analyze
the novel. It shows the discontinuities of gender roles and human desires for identity in
society. Human constructs social, political, cultural and economic power to get own
supremacy.
Key Words:Matriarchal World, Electrostatic Power,Glitters, Mother Eve, War