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SOCIAL MATRIX AND CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER IDENTITY IN NATHANIEL HAWTHORN’S THE SCARLET LETTER
Corresponding Author(s) : Liaqat Iqbal
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 9 No. 3 (2021): May
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn, already explored from different perspectives by many researchers, has relevance to the social matrix that how gender identity is constructed in the text. In order to explore this perspective, the study deals with the character of Hester Prynne as how she is deconstructing normative gender.
Methodology: For this purpose, the theory of ‘Imitation and Gender Insubordination’ presented by Butler (1993) has been applied. Secondly, the study tries to answer the gender identity of Hester Prynne by using Freudian ‘Identification of gender.’ Lastly, the work is concerned with Hester Prynne’s avoiding the danger of being leper and castaway. The last analysis owes itself to the Freudian understanding of psychoanalysis.
Main Findings: The findings show that gender is purely volatile and oscillating and is usually being constructed by feminist narratives, social appropriations, inborn congenital schema, and sexual orientations. Butler’s arguments get augmented in this study through the analysis of a few characters, particularly Hester Prynne’s, and it has indicated that through the application of Butler’s arguments on gender stance that gender is performative and hence, it has no real or inborn value/definitions. Therefore, it is inferred that gender is performative and is socially constructed.
Application of this study: This study has implications in literature in general, gender studies, and related fields in particular.
Novelty/Originality of this study: Though Nathaniel Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter had been written long before that has been explored from different perspectives, the present research is original and new in the sense that it brings social matrix and discusses gender issues in it both from the social and psychological interpretations.
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- Barbara, E. (1993). Some observations about Hawthorne's women. WILLA, II, 13-18.
- Becker, J. E. (1971). The scarlet letter. Hawthorn’s Historical Allegory. London: National University Publication.
- Bhasker, S. (2007). Feminist movement-An introduction. In Shukla Bhasker (ed.) American Feminism: A Critical Study, pp.7-8. Jaipur: Book Enclave.
- Butler, J. (1993). Imitation and gender insubordination. In Henry Abelove et al (eds.). The Lesbian and Gay: Studies Reader, pp. 307-320. London: Routledge.
- Butler, J. (2006) Gender trouble: Feminisms and subversion of identity. London: Routledge.
- Cowley, D. J. ed. (1971). Hawthorn: The critical heritage. New York: Barnes.
- Eva, G. S. (2020). Feminist and mainstream comparative analysis in The Scarlet Letter.‖ Journal of Artistic Creation and Literary Research, 8(1). Retrieved from https://www.ucm.es/siim/file/jaclr-815garrido
- Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the super-ego’. In James Strachey (ed.) The Ego and the Id. New York: Norton.
- Herbert, T. W. (1988). Nathaniel Hawthorn, Una Hawthorn, and the scarlet letter’, Interactive Selfhood and the Cultural Construction of Gender Identity. 103 (103), 285-297). https://doi.org/10.2307/462377 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/462377
- Hawthorne, N. (1850). The Scarlet Letter. Boston, MA: Ticknor and Fields.
- Jackson. J. & Scott, S. (2011). Gender: A sociological reader. London: Routledge.
- Johanssan, S. (2015). Spinless Men and Irreprsible Women: Gender Norm Destabilizing Performances in The Scarlet Letter and My Ãntonia: UMEA Universitet. Rsetrieved from https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/ge t/diva2:819333/FULLTEXT01.pdf
- Last, S. (1997). Hawthorne's Feminine Voices: Reading "The Scarlet Letter" as a Woman. The Journal of Narrative Technique, 27(3), 349-376. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225475
- Lefcowitz, A. (1974). Apologia, Pro Roger Prynne: A psychological study. Literature and Psychology, 24, 34-43.
- Mise, C. (2015). "Counter-monumentalism in the Search for American Identity in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter & The Marble Faun" (2015). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2186.
- https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2186
- Murfin, R. C. (1962). The scarlet letter: Case studies in contemporary criticism. Boston: Ohio State University Press.
- Nathanson, D. L. (1992). Shame and pride: Affect, sex and the birth of the self. New York: Norton and Company.
- Sandstorm, N. (2004). Open Guilt and Secret Sham’D Extended Essay. Lulea University of Technology.
- Sarnoff-I, & Corwin, S.M, (1951).Castration anxiety and fear of death, Journal of Personality, 27(3), 374-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1959.tb02360.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1959.tb02360.x
- Siebert, B. (2017). Historically motivated gender ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", Munich, GRIN Verlag, Retrieved from https://www.grin.com/document/459922
- Stineback, D. (1985). Gender, Hawthorne, and Literary Criticism. Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, 18(2), 91-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24777585
- Vani, M. C. (2017). Isolation and Gender Conflicts in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter: Aspects of Gender Conflict in English Literature, Language in India, 17 (4). Retrieved from www.languageinindia.com
- Wang, Y. (2017). Misogyny or Feminism? A Probe into Hawthorne and His The Scarlet Letter. English Language and Literature Studies, 7 (2), 139-143. https://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v7n2p139 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v7n2p139
- Wolman, B. B. (1968). Oedipal complex and personality development’, ‘The Unconscious Mind: The Meaningof Freudian Psychology. New Jersey: A Spectrum Book.
- World Health Organization (2015). Sex and gender. Archived from the ‘original’ on 2015-08-18.
References
Barbara, E. (1993). Some observations about Hawthorne's women. WILLA, II, 13-18.
Becker, J. E. (1971). The scarlet letter. Hawthorn’s Historical Allegory. London: National University Publication.
Bhasker, S. (2007). Feminist movement-An introduction. In Shukla Bhasker (ed.) American Feminism: A Critical Study, pp.7-8. Jaipur: Book Enclave.
Butler, J. (1993). Imitation and gender insubordination. In Henry Abelove et al (eds.). The Lesbian and Gay: Studies Reader, pp. 307-320. London: Routledge.
Butler, J. (2006) Gender trouble: Feminisms and subversion of identity. London: Routledge.
Cowley, D. J. ed. (1971). Hawthorn: The critical heritage. New York: Barnes.
Eva, G. S. (2020). Feminist and mainstream comparative analysis in The Scarlet Letter.‖ Journal of Artistic Creation and Literary Research, 8(1). Retrieved from https://www.ucm.es/siim/file/jaclr-815garrido
Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the super-ego’. In James Strachey (ed.) The Ego and the Id. New York: Norton.
Herbert, T. W. (1988). Nathaniel Hawthorn, Una Hawthorn, and the scarlet letter’, Interactive Selfhood and the Cultural Construction of Gender Identity. 103 (103), 285-297). https://doi.org/10.2307/462377 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/462377
Hawthorne, N. (1850). The Scarlet Letter. Boston, MA: Ticknor and Fields.
Jackson. J. & Scott, S. (2011). Gender: A sociological reader. London: Routledge.
Johanssan, S. (2015). Spinless Men and Irreprsible Women: Gender Norm Destabilizing Performances in The Scarlet Letter and My Ãntonia: UMEA Universitet. Rsetrieved from https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/ge t/diva2:819333/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Last, S. (1997). Hawthorne's Feminine Voices: Reading "The Scarlet Letter" as a Woman. The Journal of Narrative Technique, 27(3), 349-376. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225475
Lefcowitz, A. (1974). Apologia, Pro Roger Prynne: A psychological study. Literature and Psychology, 24, 34-43.
Mise, C. (2015). "Counter-monumentalism in the Search for American Identity in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter & The Marble Faun" (2015). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2186.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2186
Murfin, R. C. (1962). The scarlet letter: Case studies in contemporary criticism. Boston: Ohio State University Press.
Nathanson, D. L. (1992). Shame and pride: Affect, sex and the birth of the self. New York: Norton and Company.
Sandstorm, N. (2004). Open Guilt and Secret Sham’D Extended Essay. Lulea University of Technology.
Sarnoff-I, & Corwin, S.M, (1951).Castration anxiety and fear of death, Journal of Personality, 27(3), 374-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1959.tb02360.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1959.tb02360.x
Siebert, B. (2017). Historically motivated gender ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", Munich, GRIN Verlag, Retrieved from https://www.grin.com/document/459922
Stineback, D. (1985). Gender, Hawthorne, and Literary Criticism. Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, 18(2), 91-100. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24777585
Vani, M. C. (2017). Isolation and Gender Conflicts in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter: Aspects of Gender Conflict in English Literature, Language in India, 17 (4). Retrieved from www.languageinindia.com
Wang, Y. (2017). Misogyny or Feminism? A Probe into Hawthorne and His The Scarlet Letter. English Language and Literature Studies, 7 (2), 139-143. https://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v7n2p139 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v7n2p139
Wolman, B. B. (1968). Oedipal complex and personality development’, ‘The Unconscious Mind: The Meaningof Freudian Psychology. New Jersey: A Spectrum Book.
World Health Organization (2015). Sex and gender. Archived from the ‘original’ on 2015-08-18.