Transformation Of Genders-an Interpretation Of The Passion Of New Eve From The Perspective Of Queer Theory

Angela Carter (1940-1992), is one of the most original female writers, and her worksmake a feature of wild and fantastical imagination. She is also an influential writer whoseworks are widely read in west. The Passion of New Eve is Angela Carter’s seventh novel, itis set in the background of American Civil War. In the novel, Carter completely subvertbiological sex and cultural gender, presents to the reader a chaotic, reverse and flowingworld.The “Queer Theory” is a new critical theory that rose in the west in1990s. As theabnormal expression of the culture, the “Queer” refers to those people whose sexualorientations are different from the mainstream culture and the dominant social gender andsexual norms. This theory conducts the research about the physiological sex-determinationsystem, the social gender role and the sexual orientation critically. According to this theory,the gender identity and the sexual orientation are not inborn but develop in the process ofsocial and cultural assimilation. The “Queer Theory” opposes against the hegemony of thetraditional heterosexuality and the imprisonment of the traditional gender perspective.Angela Carter’s works are produced under the background of Queer Theory’semergence and development. Especially, The Passion of New Eve, one of her major works,interprets many new viewpoints of Queer Theory, such as the androcentric heterosexualityunder male patriarchy, the twisted monistic world, harmonious androgynies, dragperformance of Tristessa and the performativity in New Eve. The novel describes Evelyn’schange of gender identity before and after the transsexual surgery, the twisted monisticworld created by Mother and Zero, Tristessa’s drag performance and the ultra-sex lovebetween Tristessa and New Eve. All these parts illustrate that the author’s ideal sexualrelations is to go beyond the binary oppositions between man and woman—the perfectcombination in men and women after decomposing hegemonic discourse, and the self-construction after breaking the binary gender constraints.The significance of this thesis is that by analyzing The Passion of New Eve, we mayhave a better understanding of sex and gender and it will be helpful to build a moreharmonious and inclusive society.