Reflections of Second Wave Feminism in The Female Man and The Left Hand Of Darkness

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 11 Sayı: 31, 149 - 168, 06.10.2023

Bülent Ayyıldız

https://doi.org/10.31126/akrajournal.1282800

Öz

Women science fiction writers of the 60s and 70s reflected second wave feminist ideologies in their fictional works. The distinctive narrative techniques of science fiction genre brought out various aspects of feminist ideas in different ways. Issues related to gender and sex were embedded in the elements of science fiction such as parallel universes, androgynies, intersex, mindreading, planets, aliens, and inventions. Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) and Joanna Russ’s The Female Man (1975), through these elements, raise questions about gender equality, body politics, ethics, and social constructions. These science fiction novels have themes that are closely related to the central texts debated among second wave feminists such as Simon de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949) and Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (1963). Le Guin and Russ apply feminist theories to unconventional lives and societies, whose uniqueness or oddity helps readers think outside of the box. By presenting alternative societies, they unfold how male domination can cause sexual objectification and gender inequality, and anatomic differences in science fiction worlds creates an awareness concerning constructed gender roles. Moreover, the second wave feminists’ emphasis on sexual freedom, birth control, and marriage are illustrated through the multi-faceted outcomes of these multi-directional utopic and dystopic societies. This paper aims to bring together second wave feminist ideas and science fiction through an examination of two works, The Left Hand of Darkness and The Female Man, both of which present resisting interpretations of traditional gender issues. Unorthodox approaches to gender, the peculiar structure of the societies, and body politics will be analyzed through the narratives and elements of science fiction. Further-more, this paper will illustrate how these novels challenge conventional definitions of gender and sex in the light of second wave feminism.

Anahtar Kelimeler

feminism, science fiction, American novel, gender

The Female Man ve The Left Hand of Darkness Romanlarında İkinci Dalga Feminizmin Yansıması

Öz

1960'lar ve 70'lerin kadın bilimkurgu yazarları, kurgusal eserlerinde ikinci dalga feminist ideolojileri yansıttılar. Bilim kurgu türünün kendine özgü anlatı teknikleri, feminist fikirlerin çeşitli yönlerini farklı şekillerde ortaya çıkardı. Bu eserlerde cinsiyet ve cinsiyetle ilgili konular, paralel evrenler, androjenler, interseks, akıl okuma, gezegenler, uzaylılar ve icatlar gibi bilim kurgu unsurlarına yerleştirilmiştir. Ursula K. Le Guin'in The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) ve Joanna Russ'ın The Female Man (1975) adlı yapıtları bu unsurlar aracılığıyla toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği, beden politikaları, etik ve sosyal inşalar hakkında soru işaretleri uyandırır. Bu bilim kurgu romanları, Simon de Beauvoir'ın The Second Sex (1949) ve Betty Friedan'ın The Feminine Mystique (1963) gibi ikinci dalga feministler arasında tartışılan merkezi metinlerle yakından ilgili temalara sahiptir. Le Guin ve Russ, feminist teorileri, benzersizliği veya tuhaflığı okuyucuların kalıpların dışında düşünmesine yardımcı olan alışılmadık yaşamlara ve toplumlara uygular. Alternatif toplumlar sunarak, erkek egemenliğinin nasıl cinsel nesneleştirmeye ve cinsiyet eşitsizliğine neden olabileceğini ortaya koyarak, bilim kurgu dünyalarındaki anatomik farklılıklar üzerinden, inşa edilmiş cinsiyet rollerine ilişkin bir farkındalık yaratırlar. Dahası, ikinci dalga feministlerin cinsel özgürlük, doğum kontrolü ve evlilik konularına yaptıkları vurgu, bu çok yönlü ütopik ve distopik toplumlardaki alternatif yaşam biçimleri üzerinden örneklendiriliyor. Bu makale, her ikisi de geleneksel toplumsal cinsiyet meselelerine karşı direnen yorumlar sunan The Left Hand of Darkness ve The Female Man adlı iki eseri inceleyerek ikinci dalga feminist fikirleri ve bilim kurguyu bir araya getirmeyi amaçlıyor. Toplumsal cinsiyete, toplumların kendine özgü yapısına ve beden politikalarına yönelik alışıl-mışın dışında yaklaşımlar, anlatılar ve bilimkurgu ögeleri üzerinden incelenecektir. Ayrıca bu makale, bu romanların ikinci dalga feminizm ışığında geleneksel toplumsal cinsiyet ve cinsiyet tanımlarına nasıl meydan okuduğunu göstermeyi hedeflemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

feminizm, bilim kurgu, Amerikan romanı, toplumsal cinsiyet

Kaynakça

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