JUDITH BUTLER'S QUEER THEORY APPROACH IN THE ANALYSIS OF PERFORMATIVE GENDER IN AREEJ GAMAL'S ARABIC NOVEL “ANA ARWA YA MARYAM”

Abstract

The representation of lesbian relationships in contemporary Arabic literature serves as an important site for understanding the construction and subversion of heteronormative norms, yet previous studies have not specifically addressed the mechanisms of gender performativity in female Arab literary works focusing on same-sex female relations, particularly in connecting psychological trauma, patriarchal identity construction, and normative transitions. This study analyzes how gender performativity manifests in Areej Jamal's novel Ana Arwa ya Maryam based on Judith Butler's theoretical framework. The research employs a qualitative approach with narrative sequence analysis of the novel. The analysis reveals that gender performativity is represented through four narrative sequences: bodily performativity in the initial encounter as a rejection of passive femininity, Maryam's identity construction through the patriarchal system, performativity during the revolution as a transitional space for new norms, and intimate relations as a rejection of the heterosexual matrix. Each sequence confirms that gender identity is not a fixed biological essence but rather the result of repetitive actions that can create opportunities for subverting dominant norms within the context of psychological trauma, patriarchal systems, and political struggle.

Key words: gender performativity, heteronormativity, queer theory