- Title
- "Beyond home and sex?" : Gender and sexuality in Elizabeth Moon's; "Beyond home and sex? Gender and sexuality in Elizabeth Moon's Paksworld series
- Creator
- O'Sullivan, Jennifer
- Date
- 2018
- Type
- Text; Thesis; Masters
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/168087
- Identifier
- vital:13794
- Identifier
- https://library.federation.edu.au/record=b2787396
- Abstract
- Historically, fantasy fiction has tended to present sexuality and gender in a conservative light. Contemporary authors in this genre have the opportunity to imagine worlds in which they can critique these norms and offer new and subversive alternatives. Elizabeth Moon’s work has been seen by some readers and critics (Mains, et al, Bach) to challenge conservative gender roles, and while in some areas this is evident, a critical reading of her Paksworld series through a feminist lens reveals that her work is still largely restricted by normative notions of gender and heteronormative contexts and ideals. In this thesis I argue that while Moon’s female characters are allowed a certain amount of autonomy, they are still often repressed by those around them, silenced, or subject to male dominance and/or sexual violence. Those women in the novels who achieve a position of social, political or spiritual power are forced to make choices between roles: for example, between being a warrior and a mother, and are not allowed to ‘have it all’. Moon does subvert some familiar feminine tropes – her fantasy princesses for example avoid being married against their will, and her female warriors are more complex than simply being ‘sheroes’. Utilising masculinities and disability theory, I also analyse Moon’s treatment of men and masculinity. While Moon presents several familiar male fantasy tropes, she also portrays some surprisingly subversive men. These men are forced to reimagine and reinterpret their own masculine identities by having to confront ageing, disability, mutilation and loss of personal power while negotiating traditionally masculine homo-social environments. Finally, I argue that Moon’s presentation of sexuality in the Paksworld series is problematic and conservative in that very few of her characters are having pleasurable, consensual sex, especially not outside traditional marriage structures. Furthermore, the Paksworld series is largely heteronormative, with same-sex desire identified predominantly with a character who is presented as an antagonist to Paks. Paks herself is asexual, and I argue that Moon uses this as a way to avoid dealing with the issue of female sexual desire rather than an opportunity to explore asexuality as a valid sexual preference or identity. Overall, I argue that despite some subversive elements, Moon’s characters are still largely restricted by conservative expectations of genre, culture, gender and sexuality.; Masters by Research
- Publisher
- Federation University Australia
- Rights
- Copyright Jennifer O'Sullivan
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Full Text
- Thesis Supervisor
- Waldron, David
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