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"New Future Selves:" Gender Fluidity in the Short Stories of Jackie Kay and Ali Smith
Stehlíková, Anežka ; Nováková, Soňa (advisor) ; Poncarová, Petra Johana (referee)
1 Abstract This master's thesis examines and juxtaposes the portrayal and construction of gender fluidity in the short stories of two contemporary Scottish writers, Jackie Kay and Ali Smith, positing that it operates as an argument against, and subversion of, culturally and socially specific norms and standards. To be able to elaborate on this argument and accurately assess the examined works, the second chapter of the thesis delineates the theoretical framework through the lens of which the subsequent analysis is carried out. First, the juncture of postmodern feminism and queer theory is used to outline the germane theory of gender. Namely, the ideas of Judith Butler and Mimi Marinucci are drawn on to define gender, its discursive production, performativity, and sociocultural contingence; to explain how and why it may be understood as fluid and what the thesis signifies by the term fluidity, and to underline the means of subversion and effecting change as understood by the two theorists. Subsequently, the chapter maps the intersection of Scottishness and the Scottish sociocultural sphere with gender to elucidate why Kay and Smith's depictions are considered subversive. This section of the thesis summarises the contemporary political agenda regarding gender in Scotland, highlights the traditionally...
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