Redefining Femininity and Masculinity in the Crucible of Emotional Relationships: Applying Butler's Gender Performativity Theory in the Novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Associate Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

10.22034/jwir.2026.2096841.1088
Abstract
Gabrielle Zevin's novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2022) stands as one of the most prominent works of contemporary literature, offering an interdisciplinary exploration of human relationships, creativity, the video game industry, and the evolution of character identities. While much of the existing scholarship has focused on themes such as friendship, creativity, and technology, the central problem remains how emotional narratives and power dynamics shape the gender identity of characters in this work; a subject that has not been systematically investigated. This study aims to elucidate how gender is performed and how emotional narratives contribute to the reconstruction of the main characters' identities, analyzing the novel through the lens of Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity. Adopting a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach and employing a descriptive-analytical method, this research draws on data extracted from the novel's text, examined through narrative and thematic analysis. The theoretical framework is grounded in Butler's core concepts, including gender performativity, gender norms, repetition, agency, resistance, and subjectivation. The key findings reveal that the gender identities of the protagonists—particularly Sadie, Sam, and Marx—are not rooted in intrinsic traits but are shaped through repetitive acts, social interactions, emotional relationships, and professional experiences. This study concludes that the novel, by departing from dualistic and essentialist models of femininity and masculinity, portrays gender identity as a dynamic, fluid process contingent upon social and emotional contexts, and that Butler's theory provides an effective framework for its analysis.

Keywords

Subjects

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 27 August 2026