Subversive and Non-Traditional Development of Female Protagonist Character in Pullman's Northern Lights

نوع المستند : العلوم الانسانیة الأدبیة واللغات

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This paper discusses how children's literature witnessed revolutionary changes during the 20th century. New ideas were common in society like feminism and individualism, and hence new concepts appeared in children's literature, like child agency, and non-traditional gender roles. It appears that the concept of "books for boys" and "books for girls" started to disappear, granting female children characters the right to get into adventures, and to be portrayed as strong and courageous just like Lyra in Pullman's Northern Lights. Robin Anne Reid explains that Pullman presents revolutionary female figures in his novels, which are strong, dynamic and adventurer, in a way that makes Pullman's characters, transcend traditional gender roles. This paper examines the development of the female child character, and her coming-of-age experience, within the changing sociocultural norms of the 20th century. It is illustrated how Pullman presents Lyra’s adventure into discovering the unknown, transcending the biblical perspective, and alternatively rewarding Eve's experience of eating from the forbidden tree. This paper concludes that Butler’s theory of gender performativity, suggesting that gender is a social construct, rather than a biological gender, applies to the portrayal of Lyra’s revolutionary, and non-traditional character development, in Pullman’s novel.

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