Análise da construção identitária da personagem Genly Ai em a mão esquerda da escuridão, de Ursula K. Le Guin

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to examine how Ursula K. Le Guin’s character Genly Ai constructs her gender identity in The Left Hand of Darkness (1969). Studies by renowned theorists, including Stuart Hall (2006), Judith Butler (2008), Erving Goffman (1988), Darko Suvin (1979), Denys Cuche (1999), among others, will be used to support this interpretation. The study examines how gender and identity are treated in Le Guin’s story, discussing the complexities of Genly Ai’s gender identity through the lens of performance and performativity. Stuart Hall’s views on cultural identity in postmodernity, which offer a critical assessment of the dynamics and transformations of identity in modern times, serve as the basis for the research. Judith Butler contributes her theories on gender and performativity, which are crucial to understanding the creation and expression of gender identities. The study examines the experiences, conflicts and metamorphoses of Genly Ai as she narrates the story of her identity development. It discusses how gender identification is relevant to the plot and how this specific construction of identity contributes to the current conversation in society about gender and identity. By emphasizing the importance of literary works that question and expand our understanding of identity and gender, the research seeks to make a substantial contribution to our knowledge of these issues in both science fiction and contemporary culture