Essay en Anglais sur le live Orlando

« Orlando essaUHGR: “ T o w hat e xte n t is O rla n do a n e xp lo ra tio n o f g en der in s o cie ty ” I n tim es lik e n ow adays w here g ender b a rrie rs a re c o nsta ntly s h if tin g a nd e vo lv in g w it h t h e r is e o f th e L G BTQ + m ove m ent, V ir g in ia W oolf ’s O rla ndo c a n d efin it e ly b e in te rp re te d a s a n u nin te ntio nal h is to ric a l p re dece sso r to th e to day v e ry w ell k n ow n m ove m en t a s it c o ve rs m any v e ry s im ila r th em es.

T o day w e w ill b e ta kin g a lo ok a t h ow V ir g in ia W oolf u se s h er w rit in g a s a n o utle t to e xp lo re th e r o le o f g ender in s o cie ty a nd ju st h ow m uch th e g ender s o m eone w as a ssig ned a t b ir th c a n a ff e ct th em . T o s ta rt w it h th e v e ry , fir s t s e nte nce o f th e n ove l s ta rts w it h “ H e- f o r t h ere c o uld b e n o d oubt o f h is s ex, t h ough t h e f a sh io n o f t h e t im e d id s o m eth in g t o d is g uis e it ” ; w e ju m p s tr a ig ht in to th e th em e o f g ender a s s o on a s th e n ove l c o m mence s, s e ttin g th e to ne fo r th e r e st o f th e s to ry .

C lo th in g is h ig hly a ff ilia te d w it h g ender a nd h ow y o u w is h to p re se nt y o urs e lf , s o th e a m big uit y c h ose n to d escrib e O rla ndo’s a ttir e in th e o penin g s ce ne h in ts a t th e fa ct th at g ender i d entit y m ig ht b e a n a ct a nd th at c lo th es d o n ot s o m uch e xp re ss id entit y a s c re a te it .

A noth er v e ry im porta nt s ce ne w ould b e th e o ne o f th e G re a t F ro st w here h e m ee ts S ash a fo r th e v e ry f ir s t tim e: “ a f ig ure , w hic h , w heth er a m an o r a m an o r a w om an ’s f o r t h e lo ose t u nic a n d t r o users o f t h e r u ssia n f a sh io n s erv ed t o d is g uis e t h e s ex, f ille d h im w it h t h e h ig hest c u rio sit y .

T he p ers o n, w hate ver t h e n am e o r s ex , w as a b out m id dle h eig ht, v ery s le n derly f a sh io ned ” .

T his la ck o f c a re fo r th e s e x o f th e p ers o n t o O rla ndo ju st s h ow s th at g ender h as l it tle to n o r e le va nce to a p ers o n’s id entit y fo r h im , w hic h g oes a gain st s o cie ty ’s v ie w s o f h ete ro se xu al n orm s a t th e tim e. A noth er w ay c lo th in g is u se d to d is p la y h ow g ender is p ortr a ye d in O rla ndo is th e d if f e re nce in t im e it ta ke s fo r h im to g et c h anged b efo re a nd a fte r tu rn in g in to a w om an .

W hils t h e w as a m an t h e p ro ce ss o f g ettin g r e ady w as a lo t fa ste r a nd e asie r “ h e h ad t h ru st o n c rim so n b re ech es, l a ce c o lla r, w ais tc o at a n d t a ffe ta , a n d s h oes w it h r o sette s o n t h em a s b ig a s d ouble d ah lia s in le ss t h an t e n m in ute s b y t h e s ta b le c lo ck.

H e w as r e ad y.” w hils t a s a w om an: “ ‘ T here 's t h e h air d re ssin g,' s h e t h ought, 't h at a lo ne w ill t a ke a n h our o f m y m orn in g, t h ere 's lo okin g in t h e lo okin g-g la ss, a n oth er h our; t h ere 's s ta y in g a n d la cin g; t h ere 's w ash in g a n d p ow derin g; t h ere 's c h an gin g f r o m s ilk t o la ce a n d f r o m la ce t o p ad uaso y; t h ere 's b ein g c h aste y ear in y ear o ut...' “ t h is c o ntr a st in tim e a nd v o ca bula ry ju st s h ow s h ow p erfo rm ativ e o f a n a ct g ender c a n b e a nd h ow m uch is e xp ecte d o f w om en o nly in th eir a ppeara nce in c o ntr a st to m en in s o cie ty .. »