Gender Performance in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Ruth

Abstract

Gender is a social construct which binds the assigned members of society to perform particular acts appropriate to their gender. This study aims to analyze gender performance in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Ruth, a Victorian English novel, to see Victorian English perspective on gender as a social construct. The characters in the narrative must perform particular traits and acts appropriate to their gender. The heroine, Ruth, is also judged by her gender performance and must bear punitive consequences when she is considered as violating the rules related to her being a female member of the society. Through her later conscious gender performance, Ruth eventually manages to gain her respectable place in society. From a fallen woman, she is later well thought-out as an angel of mercy. Ruth is judged by what she performs, and it is the performance of a respectable woman. Key words: gender, gender performance, social construct