| Abstract [eng] |
This master’s thesis examines the representation of gender in contemporary literature and culture, with a particular focus on the motif of water and aquatic creatures as a symbolic space for the analysis of queer identity. Drawing on theories of ecofeminism, queer as the monstrous Other, and gender studies, the thesis analyzes how water, as an element that dissolves boundaries and limits, allows for a rethinking of gender binaries and establishes a safe, liminal space for the expression of queer identity. The first chapter discusses the differences between sex and gender, Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity, and reviews the alternatives to social gender proposed by Toril Moi and Iris Marion Young. It also discusses queer fluidity and ambiguity as key aspects of queer identity. The second theoretical chapter explores the connections between monster theory monstrosity and non-heteronormative identities as the cultural other, and introduces a new theoretical shift from a monster to a creature. The third theoretical chapter discusses water as a symbolic medium for the emergence of ambivalent identities, explores ecofeminist and hydrofeminist approaches, while the fourth chapter presents a general synthesis of theories that allows for the integration of the discussed theories. Chapter five examines the novel Our Wives Under the Sea (2022) by British author Julia Armfield (b. 1990), discussing the liminality of personal identity and space, as well as the construction of queer identities through the symbolism of water and aquatic creatures. The concept of the creature is also discussed in light of monster theory. Chapter six analyzes the short story “Music in Their Eyes” (Muzika jų akyse, Undinės, 2019) by Lithuanian writer Jurga Tumasonytė (b. 1988) in the context of contemporary Lithuania’s attitude toward the LGBTQIA+ community. The work’s animalistic approach to aquatic beings is discussed, and different modes of coexistence with the cultural other are evaluated. Chapter seven analyzes video art pieces Sirenomelia (2018), Æqualia (2023), and Afotija (2023) by the internationally active Lithuanian artist Emilija Škarnulytė (b. 1987). The mermaid is analyzed as a prophetic figure existing beyond the boundaries of monsters and creatures. The chapter also examines the position of queer individuals in the artist’s works, which feature both hybrid water creatures and drag performers. |
