Subverting Old Tradition And Reconstructing Beautiful Life

Jeanette Winterson is one of the most famous and controversial writers in modern England.The Gap of Time is considered to be an echo to William Shakespeare‘s The Winter?s Tale.At the same time,it is also a tribute to this great writer.The Gap of Time is a cover version of The Winter?s Tale,which tells us a story about heartbreaking and healing,revenge,forgiveness and lost love.Although the characters of this novel have experienced various misfortunes for various reasons,the ending of the novel is happy and beautiful.The uniqueness of The Gap of Time is not only focused on the theme of love,but on many details in the book,which reflects Winterson‘s keen and unique insights of gender,the physical gender and social gender.This thesis will analyze and study it in combination with queer theory,which shows that the writer wants to break away from the restrictions and constraints of ideological hegemony on human physical and mental development and establish a more harmonious and free living state.Queer theory is a theory that has emerged in recent years and is widely used in the analysis of literary works.This thesis puts The Gap of Time into the framework of queer theory,mainly analyzes and interprets the development and changes of characters‘ performance and plot in the novel from the perspectives of homosociality and gender performativity.From the perspective of homosociality,this thesis first analyzes the traditional male image,female image and love triangle between men and women in the novel,and concludes that the male hegemony is subverted.Secondly,from the perspective of gender performativity,this thesis makes analysis of the bisexual temperament of the male and female characters and the coexistence of homosexuality,heterosexuality and bisexuality in the novel,and conclude that the dichotomy of male and female and the dichotomy of homosexual and heterosexual are subverted.Thirdly,through the deep interpretation of the work,the author finally wants to express the yearning and pursuit of a beautiful and harmonious new life between man and man,man and society,so this thesis discusses the reconstruction of a new and harmonious life from ?gender? relationship and return of lost affection.This thesis uses the text analysis to mainly analyze the queerness that existing in The Gap of Time by interpreting the subversion to tradition.Finally we came to a conclusion: the writer gives this work a new connotation in the new period by rewriting.It shows us the writer wants to form a new type of value and reconstruct a new and harmonious life.At the same time,it also provides a reference for real life.Whether it is between man and man,people and society,genders,families or marriages,we should understand each other,respect each other,and be tolerant of each other.And also,we should not stick to traditional thinking for us,only this can we achieve the true meaning of freedom and harmony.