The Paradox of Gender Performativity in Winnie-the-Pooh
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Abstract
In a heteronormative society, boys and girls are trained to dress and act in ways regarded appropriate for their respective genders. Even during play, a boy is expected to indulge only in activities that are traditionally considered masculine. A. A. Milne was inspired by his son's pretend play to write the Pooh books. From the illustrations in the book, which were modeled upon the real Christopher Robin and his toys, and various biographical material on the Pooh books, it can be discerned that the young boy was dressed in a gender-nonconforming fashion. This article probes this paradox of gender performativity in Christopher Robin's character in Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), wherein the child performs acts considered masculine in his imaginative play, while going against gender norms in his real-life appearance.
Contributor Notes
A postgraduate in English literature and author of a short story collection, Tones of Silence, Krishnapriya Kamalakshan is now pursuing her PhD under the guidance of Dr. Sumathy K. Swamy at PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: krishnapriyakamal@gmail.com
Dr. Sumathy K. Swamy, MA, B.Ed., MPhil, PhD, MBA, is Associate Professor in the Department of English, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. She has supervised six PhD and 27 MPhil scholars in her 30 years of experience. With a specialization in American and Commonwealth literature, she has presented and published research papers at various national and international conferences and seminars, in India and abroad. Email: sumathikswamy@psgrkcw.ac.in