Essay on Chapter 3 of Gender Trouble (Judith Butler, 1999)

On Chapter 3 of Gender Trouble (Judith Butler, 1999) - Essay Example n’s interiority most of the times is also referred to as a psychological core that justifies and analyses the outside or surface affairs of the body (Butler, 1999:90-110). Therefore, with such proposition, the gender or the sexual characteristic of a person tends to be derivative. One person may think of one thing, yet it does not constitute his final thoughts. What a person may act is not what he truly thinks. Gender is not truly a mere physical characterization of a person. Butler further proposes that there are performative actions that generalize and conclude the whole idea of gender and sexuality. Gender is a performance of what is continuously thought and observed. Others may refer to this as the idea or performativity. Furthermore, whether it is heterosexuality or homosexuality, both are the results of impersonation towards what the outer influence is implying to the inner space (Salih, 2002:55-61; Butler, 1999:130-40; Bell, 1999:85-90). Drag, referring to the ideas of Butler, is the simplest form of sexual mimicry as to what society might dictate. Though the outside body may reflect those of a male being, the mind is set and made believe the person is of the female specie. This compliments the idea of repetition that the author also has spoken of. When acts are continuously or repeatedly done, a person will get accustomed to performing actions that are learned through the influence of the environment and/or the society. The term drag does not only pertain to those of the male specie having a female interiority but also of those of the female specie having a male interiority. Repetition not just in actions but also in thoughts will further justify the mind that what the outer may appear to be is not what the inner feels. Therefore, such conflict within the inner and the outer self of a person results in what is known as drag (Butler, 1999:134-41). Elaborating more on gender, Butler emphasises that gender is a repeated performance, practically a ritual.