"I Am in Control": Strategic Gender Performance and Agency in Joyce Carol Oates's Marya: A Life.
Saved in:
| Title: | "I Am in Control": Strategic Gender Performance and Agency in Joyce Carol Oates's Marya: A Life. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Xu, Lingling1 gs61550@student.upm.edu.my, Mani, Manimangai1 manimangai@upm.edu.my, Singh, Hardev Kaur a/p Jujar1 hardevkaur@upm.edu.my |
| Source: | Journal of Language Teaching & Research. May2026, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p812-820. 9p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Scholars, *Authors, Gender role, Gender expression, Feminist criticism, Patriarchy, Autonomy (Philosophy), Fiction |
| People: | Butler, Judith, 1956-, Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938- |
| Abstract: | This article examines gender performativity as a strategic mode of agency in Joyce Carol Oates's Marya: A Life (1986), focusing on the production of female scholarly identity within patriarchal academic institutions. Existing criticism has largely interpreted Marya's development through psychological trauma, maternal reconciliation, or inner healing, tending to locate agency in psychic resolution rather than in the negotiation of institutional power. Drawing on Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity, this study argues that Marya's agency emerges through calculated gender performances rather than through the attainment of a coherent or authentic identity. Through close textual analysis, the article traces three interconnected stages in Marya's trajectory. It first examines her adoption of masculinized behaviors as strategies for academic legitimacy, revealing the limits of masculinity when performed by a female body. It then analyzes her tactical switching between masculine assertion and feminine vulnerability in interpersonal and institutional encounters, showing how gender functions as a situational resource. Finally, it conceptualizes Marya's later position as a feminist intellectual as a form of "meta-performance," in which scholarly authority and feminist critique coexist within the same institutional framework. By foregrounding the performative construction of scholarly authority, this study reframes Marya: A Life as a critical exploration of how gendered agency is negotiated and rendered intelligible within patriarchal academic culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Language Teaching & Research is the property of Academy Publication Co., LTD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 193700219 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: "I Am in Control": Strategic Gender Performance and Agency in Joyce Carol Oates's Marya: A Life. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xu%2C+Lingling%22">Xu, Lingling</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> gs61550@student.upm.edu.my</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mani%2C+Manimangai%22">Mani, Manimangai</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> manimangai@upm.edu.my</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Singh%2C+Hardev+Kaur+a%2Fp+Jujar%22">Singh, Hardev Kaur a/p Jujar</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> hardevkaur@upm.edu.my</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Language+Teaching+%26+Research%22">Journal of Language Teaching & Research</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p812-820. 9p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scholars%22">Scholars</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Authors%22">Authors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+role%22">Gender role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+expression%22">Gender expression</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Feminist+criticism%22">Feminist criticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Patriarchy%22">Patriarchy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autonomy+%28Philosophy%29%22">Autonomy (Philosophy)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fiction%22">Fiction</searchLink> – Name: SubjectPerson Label: People Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="PE" term="%22Butler%2C+Judith%2C+1956-%22">Butler, Judith, 1956-</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="PE" term="%22Oates%2C+Joyce+Carol%2C+1938-%22">Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938-</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This article examines gender performativity as a strategic mode of agency in Joyce Carol Oates's Marya: A Life (1986), focusing on the production of female scholarly identity within patriarchal academic institutions. Existing criticism has largely interpreted Marya's development through psychological trauma, maternal reconciliation, or inner healing, tending to locate agency in psychic resolution rather than in the negotiation of institutional power. Drawing on Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity, this study argues that Marya's agency emerges through calculated gender performances rather than through the attainment of a coherent or authentic identity. Through close textual analysis, the article traces three interconnected stages in Marya's trajectory. It first examines her adoption of masculinized behaviors as strategies for academic legitimacy, revealing the limits of masculinity when performed by a female body. It then analyzes her tactical switching between masculine assertion and feminine vulnerability in interpersonal and institutional encounters, showing how gender functions as a situational resource. Finally, it conceptualizes Marya's later position as a feminist intellectual as a form of "meta-performance," in which scholarly authority and feminist critique coexist within the same institutional framework. By foregrounding the performative construction of scholarly authority, this study reframes Marya: A Life as a critical exploration of how gendered agency is negotiated and rendered intelligible within patriarchal academic culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Language Teaching & Research is the property of Academy Publication Co., LTD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=193700219 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.17507/jltr.1703.06 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 9 StartPage: 812 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Scholars Type: general – SubjectFull: Authors Type: general – SubjectFull: Gender role Type: general – SubjectFull: Gender expression Type: general – SubjectFull: Feminist criticism Type: general – SubjectFull: Patriarchy Type: general – SubjectFull: Autonomy (Philosophy) Type: general – SubjectFull: Fiction Type: general – SubjectFull: Butler, Judith, 1956- Type: general – SubjectFull: Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938- Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: "I Am in Control": Strategic Gender Performance and Agency in Joyce Carol Oates's Marya: A Life. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Xu, Lingling – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mani, Manimangai – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Singh, Hardev Kaur a/p Jujar IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 05 Text: May2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 17984769 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 17 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Language Teaching & Research Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
