Works Cited
Bird, Kym. “Leaping into the Breeches: Liberal Feminism and Cross Dressing in Sarah Anne Curzon's "The Sweet Girl Graduate."” Australasian Drama Studies, 1996. ProQuest. Web.
Bird’s article focuses on female cross dressing in Canadian theatre through Sarah Anne Curzon’s protagonist, Kate from the Sweet Girl Graduate. Bird suggests that female cross dressing is a mechanism used to critique male sexuality and expose the socially constructed relationships between sex and gender. Bird infers that cross dressing as a female to male is viewed as a mechanism for the greater good of women (173). Apart from the gender constructs, through close readings, Bird analyzes the primary symbols of masculinity and femininity through aspects of apparel …show more content…
She suggests that drag queens behave in a way that illuminates different forms of ‘hyper femininity’ (656). Hyper femininity is explained as an “exaggerated adherence to stereotypic feminine gender role” (656). The choices that the drag queens make based on appearance, such as wearing a wig or putting on lipstick, are examples of hyper femininity performed by drag queens. Greaf states that gender is an act that everyone performs and those who identify with similar genders will have similar experiences. In addition, Greaf explains how drag queens are treated as female while in their personas and will have similar experiences as women living in a patriarchal society. Consequently, when a drag queen removes her persona, the male is re-entered into society with the expected treatment that a male would have within …show more content…
They note that females who cross dress usually have the intention of attaining male behaviours. Whereas, males who dress as women are seen as individuals that are seeking pleasure for erotic purposes (4). In order for all the readers to have the same understanding, the authors defined and explained the origin of the term ‘drag.’ Based on the author’s research, there is a strong relationship between the gendered performer and their gender identity (7). The authors explain how being a drag offers a limit to hegemonic masculinity because this view depicts men as superior to women. However, a male dressing as a woman contradicts hegemonic masculinity because they are representing themselves as their subordinates, females (7). Schacht and Underwood’s study on drags has some correlation with Kym Bird’s study of female cross dressing. Both articles conclude that females who cross dress as men do so in order to take on the behaviours and perks of being a man. These sources in combination provide a stronger support for my argument, indicating that women use cross dressing as a tool to acquire male behaviour and power. Furthermore, Schact and Underwood’s article will be used to distinguish the different motivations for a male or a female to cross dress and how it differs to be a
Bird, Kym. “Leaping into the Breeches: Liberal Feminism and Cross Dressing in Sarah Anne Curzon's "The Sweet Girl Graduate."” Australasian Drama Studies, 1996. ProQuest. Web.
Bird’s article focuses on female cross dressing in Canadian theatre through Sarah Anne Curzon’s protagonist, Kate from the Sweet Girl Graduate. Bird suggests that female cross dressing is a mechanism used to critique male sexuality and expose the socially constructed relationships between sex and gender. Bird infers that cross dressing as a female to male is viewed as a mechanism for the greater good of women (173). Apart from the gender constructs, through close readings, Bird analyzes the primary symbols of masculinity and femininity through aspects of apparel …show more content…
She suggests that drag queens behave in a way that illuminates different forms of ‘hyper femininity’ (656). Hyper femininity is explained as an “exaggerated adherence to stereotypic feminine gender role” (656). The choices that the drag queens make based on appearance, such as wearing a wig or putting on lipstick, are examples of hyper femininity performed by drag queens. Greaf states that gender is an act that everyone performs and those who identify with similar genders will have similar experiences. In addition, Greaf explains how drag queens are treated as female while in their personas and will have similar experiences as women living in a patriarchal society. Consequently, when a drag queen removes her persona, the male is re-entered into society with the expected treatment that a male would have within …show more content…
They note that females who cross dress usually have the intention of attaining male behaviours. Whereas, males who dress as women are seen as individuals that are seeking pleasure for erotic purposes (4). In order for all the readers to have the same understanding, the authors defined and explained the origin of the term ‘drag.’ Based on the author’s research, there is a strong relationship between the gendered performer and their gender identity (7). The authors explain how being a drag offers a limit to hegemonic masculinity because this view depicts men as superior to women. However, a male dressing as a woman contradicts hegemonic masculinity because they are representing themselves as their subordinates, females (7). Schacht and Underwood’s study on drags has some correlation with Kym Bird’s study of female cross dressing. Both articles conclude that females who cross dress as men do so in order to take on the behaviours and perks of being a man. These sources in combination provide a stronger support for my argument, indicating that women use cross dressing as a tool to acquire male behaviour and power. Furthermore, Schact and Underwood’s article will be used to distinguish the different motivations for a male or a female to cross dress and how it differs to be a