Gender Transgression And Spirit Breakout

Carson McCullers(1917-1967)is a unique female writer in American literary circles.Besides the extreme description of solitude in Carson McCullers' works,her concentration on the issue of gender is the unique trait that differs from other contemporaneous writers.Recently,the rise of Queer Theory brings new interpretation to her works.Hence,this paper aims to focus on a series of "gender transgressors" in McCullers' works,using certain ideas of Queer Theory,to reveal the reason which caused the tragedy of these figures is the conflict between the rationality in the context of Queer Theory and the transgression in the context of traditional culture.In addition,McCullers is a Southern Gothic writer.Understanding her concentration on gender issue and analyzing her Gothic approaches to illustrate the figures of gender transgression also demonstrate her unique style in writing which differs from other southern writers.The first chapter firstly sorts out the "gender transgressors" which appeared in Carson McCullers' novels.According to the characteristics,these characters are divided into three categories:ambiguous gender boundaries,non-heterosexual,and self-identity"deviation".Through careful reading of the texts,analyzing the "deviation" of these figures in the context of traditional culture,and show their characteristics which "deviate"from the traditional gender norms.The concentrated display of a series of "gender transgressors" is the basis for the entire paper to use gender perspectives for research.The second chapter intends to analyzes the Gothic technique that McCullers used to portray these "gender transgressors".Showing that McCullers inherited the Southern Gothic tradition,that she excels at rendering absurd and weird atmosphere when she writes.Besides,she is keen to describe violent events such as duelling and shooting,and shows mysterious gothic features in the narrative at the same time.Therefore,I believe that she reveals the crazy and hidden feelings by the way of writing these gothic method of violence and fright,in order to achieve spiritual release and liberation.The third chapter concretely adopts the relevant viewpoints of queer theory and makes rational explanations to these "gender transgressors".First of all,it starts from the questioning of gender norms,revealing the subversion of gender hegemony in Queer's theoretical context,thus deducing the predicaments of "gender transgressors" those were not accepted because of sex hegemony control in that time.Secondly,from a moral point of view,revealing the process these "gender transgressors" actually become "victims"under the cultural and religious background at the time,thus further revealing their tragic fate caused by "crossing the border".Finally,analyzing the loneliness predicament that these "gender transgressors" suffered on the spiritual level because of "crossing the border" in the gender domain.At the same time,showing that this loneliness is not only an individual's loneliness,but also has a broad representative meaning which deepens these works' solitude theme.The fourth chapter mainly analyzes the causes of her "Queer" writing according to McCullers' personal gender encounters.First of all,it analyzed her maverick personality and the illness throughout her life that leads to the spiritually isolation of McCullers.Secondly,it reveals that the characters and emotions in the works are mostly based on her own dramatic queer sentimental experience,which adds unique charm to her work.Finally,it explored her emotional roots and artistic inheritance in writing,on the one hand,it comes from the deep affection for the southern American society,on the other hand it comes from the influence and penetration of American traditional literature and Russian realism works.The conclusion part summarized the value and meaning of McCullers' writing in the"gender transgressors",and discovered the relationship between the gender factors and the loneliness theme behind the text.At the same time,analyzing the positive significance carried by McCullers as an image of a cross-era rebel,clearly defines the unique value of McCullers' writing.