Introduction
As human beings, we are expected to conform towards stereotypical gender roles. Society’s concept of a typical "gender role" refers to how men and women are expected to act and behave. Masculine roles have traditionally been associated with strength, aggression, and dominance, while feminine roles have traditionally been associated with passivity, nurturing, and subordination. The novel Touch Me, 2000, by James Moloney explores ideologies and expectations about gender roles. Some characters strongly reinforce society’s opinions, some challenge them, while a few characters’ mindsets and opinions evolve and change due to the experiences they have. The stereotypical, masculine male is exposed through Scott Watson’s actions and thoughts, …show more content…
She ensures that he knows his place in the relationship, as she is the one who makes decisions (asking him out on a date). Nuala ensures that Xavier knows his place when he came to her rescue on the railway platform. “And it was your job to stop them, right? Boys start fights, boys stop fights. I can take care of myself.” (p48) Nuala chooses to dress masculine. By dressing like a male, Nuala appears to not conform but it later becomes evident that her own false sense of security and her desperation for social conformity is being displayed by her dressing as a boy. When Nuala rejects to fit in to the normal female stereotype, she is immediately labelled “Bloody lesbian” then later “Dyke!” (p.11) The story of Joan of Arc is a thread running through the book for Nuala. The first glimpse Xavier has of Nuala as a 'normal ' girl is in a photograph in a newspaper report of her playing the female lead in Shaw 's Saint Joan, and this is referred back to the prologue where the then unknown protagonist tells herself "Shouldn 't she know by now what they did to witches" (p 2). Xavier later makes the connection between Nuala and Joan of Arc where they both wear men 's clothes as armour, and Nuala speaking to Xavier uses the phrase 'you are the pick of the basket here ' Nuala draws the statement even tighter when she asks Xavier ‘You won 't burn me at the stake will you, Xave? I 've had enough of being a martyr?’ …show more content…
The society’s opinions have been challenged through central characters, while a few characters’ mindsets and opinion evolve and change due to the experiences. Scott Watson conforms towards gender stereotypes types, while Nuala Magee challenges. Xavier McLachlan, changes with the events happening in his life and discovers different elements of his personality that he never knew existed. In life there is always a tendency to conform to the cultural notions of ‘masculinity’ and
As human beings, we are expected to conform towards stereotypical gender roles. Society’s concept of a typical "gender role" refers to how men and women are expected to act and behave. Masculine roles have traditionally been associated with strength, aggression, and dominance, while feminine roles have traditionally been associated with passivity, nurturing, and subordination. The novel Touch Me, 2000, by James Moloney explores ideologies and expectations about gender roles. Some characters strongly reinforce society’s opinions, some challenge them, while a few characters’ mindsets and opinions evolve and change due to the experiences they have. The stereotypical, masculine male is exposed through Scott Watson’s actions and thoughts, …show more content…
She ensures that he knows his place in the relationship, as she is the one who makes decisions (asking him out on a date). Nuala ensures that Xavier knows his place when he came to her rescue on the railway platform. “And it was your job to stop them, right? Boys start fights, boys stop fights. I can take care of myself.” (p48) Nuala chooses to dress masculine. By dressing like a male, Nuala appears to not conform but it later becomes evident that her own false sense of security and her desperation for social conformity is being displayed by her dressing as a boy. When Nuala rejects to fit in to the normal female stereotype, she is immediately labelled “Bloody lesbian” then later “Dyke!” (p.11) The story of Joan of Arc is a thread running through the book for Nuala. The first glimpse Xavier has of Nuala as a 'normal ' girl is in a photograph in a newspaper report of her playing the female lead in Shaw 's Saint Joan, and this is referred back to the prologue where the then unknown protagonist tells herself "Shouldn 't she know by now what they did to witches" (p 2). Xavier later makes the connection between Nuala and Joan of Arc where they both wear men 's clothes as armour, and Nuala speaking to Xavier uses the phrase 'you are the pick of the basket here ' Nuala draws the statement even tighter when she asks Xavier ‘You won 't burn me at the stake will you, Xave? I 've had enough of being a martyr?’ …show more content…
The society’s opinions have been challenged through central characters, while a few characters’ mindsets and opinion evolve and change due to the experiences. Scott Watson conforms towards gender stereotypes types, while Nuala Magee challenges. Xavier McLachlan, changes with the events happening in his life and discovers different elements of his personality that he never knew existed. In life there is always a tendency to conform to the cultural notions of ‘masculinity’ and