The Female Man By Joanna Russ
Celeste Carle
Mr. Mirell
Eng. 4 Sci-Fi, P. 6
4 December 2014
The Female Man (1975)
By Joanna Russ
Title Explanation
The novel is titled The Female Man in a literal sense because one of the four main characters, Joanna, decides to metaphorically become a man in order gain respect that she can’t receive as a woman.
In terms of the theme, however, the title represents the idea that gender is a social construct, something that can be broken down and allows individuals to assume masculinity and femininity according to desire, not born gender. People can also take on traditional gender roles such as women are the homemaker and men are the breadwinners and dismantle their relationship to gender.
Main Characters
Jeannine
Jeannine lives in our world …show more content…
Through trying to understand, they begin questioning the way that they live. Jeannine, for example, realizes that marriage doesn’t have to be her only aspiration and that she shouldn’t marry just to be married.
Another conflict that is more of an overarching theme about the different ways that the social expectation in each of these women’s lives affects them. It is an issue of misogyny that effects them all. They are expected to live a life of “less importance” because of something as insignificant as their gender.
Climax
I believe the climax of the story is after Jael assassinates Manland’s misogynistic leader. She tells the other women that she wants them to secretly create bases in their worlds so that when the time comes they have the ability to overthrow the men and destroy their forced gender roles. Everyone but Janet agrees. Being from Whileaway, she has no way to fully understand the threat that everyone else believes men pose. Jael then tells her that Whileaway is the future where women have won the war, the men did not die of plague. Janet refuses to believe her. This is all four character’s point of no return. They realize the oppression patriarchal views and either decide to do something about it or not, in Janet’s
Mr. Mirell
Eng. 4 Sci-Fi, P. 6
4 December 2014
The Female Man (1975)
By Joanna Russ
Title Explanation
The novel is titled The Female Man in a literal sense because one of the four main characters, Joanna, decides to metaphorically become a man in order gain respect that she can’t receive as a woman.
In terms of the theme, however, the title represents the idea that gender is a social construct, something that can be broken down and allows individuals to assume masculinity and femininity according to desire, not born gender. People can also take on traditional gender roles such as women are the homemaker and men are the breadwinners and dismantle their relationship to gender.
Main Characters
Jeannine
Jeannine lives in our world …show more content…
Through trying to understand, they begin questioning the way that they live. Jeannine, for example, realizes that marriage doesn’t have to be her only aspiration and that she shouldn’t marry just to be married.
Another conflict that is more of an overarching theme about the different ways that the social expectation in each of these women’s lives affects them. It is an issue of misogyny that effects them all. They are expected to live a life of “less importance” because of something as insignificant as their gender.
Climax
I believe the climax of the story is after Jael assassinates Manland’s misogynistic leader. She tells the other women that she wants them to secretly create bases in their worlds so that when the time comes they have the ability to overthrow the men and destroy their forced gender roles. Everyone but Janet agrees. Being from Whileaway, she has no way to fully understand the threat that everyone else believes men pose. Jael then tells her that Whileaway is the future where women have won the war, the men did not die of plague. Janet refuses to believe her. This is all four character’s point of no return. They realize the oppression patriarchal views and either decide to do something about it or not, in Janet’s