Gender Identity and Female Emancipation in Marquez's Innocent Erendira

Abstract

This research work aims to trace the emergence of woman the new woman through gender performance and identity politics in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Innocent Erendira, Erendira is an innocent girl of fourteen years while the text begins but latter she is no more innocent, victim and obedient. She is obliged to do hard household works for her grandmother. She is innocent, obedient and submissive in front of her grandmother. Once, due to the over works she collapses on the bed with the candle still glowing on a nearby table. The candle causes the house burnt. The incident takes Erendira to sex market to repay the ammount of lost house. Erendira is innocent and powerless as a stereotypical girl. That’s why she submissive and has not another option expect silently and obediently following the instruction of her cruel grandmother rather she turns to be bold, brave, experienced and angelic while she able to kill her grandmother. But, time onward she is no more submissive, victimized and innocent. She, through her boy friend Ulises and determines to leave even to him turning herself bold, brave and victorious. The emancipation of Erendira is possible with her emergence as a new woman due to her power of resistance and dismantles of traditional identity which is analyzed through radical feminism, gender, sexuality and identity politics.