Characters in Zipped and Hedwig - Gender Duality - Term Paper Example

number How do language, labels/categories and the agents/processes of socialization operate such that the characters in Zipped and Hedwig succeed and/or fail to maintain, obey, and possibly resist a gendered duality? First, it is important to understand what language, labels, and processes mean in order to understand how they affect the characters mentioned. Language of socialization means the communication terms used in the society to relate to one another, or to other people. For example in this case, there is Hedwig, Lisa, and Mick who are conformed to certain behaviours because of the language of the society. Language is the system of communication by the society. Labels are the identities that people take up, or are branded in relation to their behaviour. Labels are given by the society, and these stem from philosophical theories explaining behaviour, or scientific research about specific behaviours. Processes are the usual interactions that people have on regular basis, for example, going to school, going to work, interacting with different people at work, school, and social centres, meeting people, and talking on cell phones. These processes form the culture that people adopt, for example, a workplace has elements of culture that people have made meaningful. The boss or the supervisor of junior employees gives the instructions while the employees listen. It is a culture that portrays their power and social status (Sanderson 2). It is also important to describe the characters and their situations. There are different characters in the ‘Zipped’, but the main ones that will be considered in this essay are Lisa, Mick and Mick’s stepmother (McNeal). They are a symbol of sexuality which will be used to illustrate how language processes, and labels have branded them what they are; Heterosexuals. The whole story is however, about Mick in different situations in life, especially with his stepmother, and her partner. The main character in ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, is Hedwig. Hedwig is revealed as a character who is almost confused about sexual identity. He was born a boy, but later in life started carrying out himself as a lady. She got married to a man who later left her. This may have contributed to her emotional breakdowns and confusion. As a rock star leader, she is a lady, but has a girlfriend who is a man. She plays the role of a man to her girlfriend. The labels, language, and processes are a form of social construction that moulds people’s behaviour to make them act like they do. The labels, language, and processes prove social constructionists, and postmodernist beliefs about sexuality. These beliefs are based on Michel Foucault’s ideas about sexual regimes; that these are constructed by the society (Sanderson 3). Through this social construction, the characters are able to stick to certain sexual orientation. Mick and Lisa for example, are guided through what is right and wrong in the society concerning sexuality. Michel Foucault noted that the sexual values, attitudes, and practices were all constructed by the society (Sanderson 3). This is all clear in the characters seen in ‘Zipped’ and ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’. In ‘Zipped’, the values constructed by the society is that people should give importance to the family system, and respect the Mormon missionaries. Respect includes not thinking of them as sexual partners. Lisa at first liked a Mormon missionary, but she was advised against the idea because he was a man of God. In the society, a lady should not fall in love with a man of God. This is also because the society developed a culture where Godliness is defined by certain values of purity. Purity as defined in the society is behaviour that excludes sex. Lisa ended up with Mick, as expected of the society. The story described Mick’s journey to getting to know her stepmother’s partner. According to the society, a man falls in love with a lady, whom he takes time to get to date, and eventually marry. This is the social construction of how such a relationship should be as depicted in ‘Zipped’. This has guided the characters to obey what the society considers normal, and right. The family system is valued, and the norm has kept Mick’s stepmother in a relationship, while having another with an individual of same sex. It has also kept Mick and Lisa on track. There are different theories explaining sexuality. Stein explains that there are three models of sexuality; Drives, identities, and practices. The models explain the difference between sex and sexuality. According to the drive model, sex is an act and there are biological and physiological pressures driving people into sex, but sex alone does not define one’s sexuality or identity. One can identify himself or herself as a male or female, but the sexual behaviour is influenced by different other factors; one main one being the society (Stein, 1-3). Hedwig is a perfect example of the difference between sexuality and one’s gender or sex. She portrayed herself as a female in the movie, as a rock star, and as a lover to Gnosis, but she has male sexual organs. She also has a girlfriend who she spends time with, but to her girlfriend, he is a man. This is revealed in one scene where she plays the role of a man when the two are in bed. One’s gender is not determined by his or her sexual practices. Sex has been defined as “an overpowering, instinctual drive, which must be firmly controlled by the cultural and social matrix” (Stein 1). It is indicated that even though sexuality is grounded in biological drives, these drives do not guide humans to what, and where they should get their satisfaction. Biological constitution drives humans to look for sexual release and nourishment, but it does not tell them what they should eat, and where they should look for such release. This is a model explaining human behaviour, leading to sexual practices that label people as heterosexual, homosexual and lesbians. Hedwig is a good example. She is a lady, but her sexual practices do not define her as a lady. It means her gender has a different meaning. Whatever makes her a lady is not about her sexual organs. It could be her internal feelings which make her dress like she does, therefore, develop an identity for herself. Her sexual practices however, if explained according to this theory, are just basic biological mandate, and this biological mandate does not tell her where she should satisfy such drive (Stein 1-3). People’s practices have led to social branding. People of male gender who seek sexual satisfaction from other males are branded homosexual. Females who seek to satisfy such biological drive from fellow females are branded lesbians; while satisfying such an urge from an opposite sex is branded heterosexual and normal. The society has constructed people’s sexuality. Hedwig as seen in the movie, does not even consider gender important. She has a theory of the origin of eternal love. According to Hedwig, people were created as one. The fire from lightening separated people leaving those who were joined as one, separated. These people had different sexualities. They were two males, two females, and a male and a female, joined together. The split meant that if one’s partner was a male, he or she had to get the male for them to be whole again. Hedwig wondered why people considered strange, her female nature. Social construction according to Plante, is all about being aware of the society, culture, and history. It involves criticism about information and ideas that people eventually come to take for granted. It also involves recognition and understanding of the processes that maintain people’s ways of looking at the world (Plante 90-92). The culture in the society is that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation. History also supports the belief, and any deviation from that is considered abnormal. Homosexuality, lesbianism and heterosexuality, among other sexualities, are processes that people are aware of, and understand them as those that maintain the society. People have talked about these issues, criticized, and have gotten used to them. Hedwig cannot resist gender duality because of the language, processes and labels. Society processes such as meeting with one another, talking, and working and so on, are the ones that push her to act like she does. The society brands her a homosexual, but her biological nature pushes her to satisfy her desires in whatever way. He is a male, but her long term role as a lady, her publicity, having been married as a woman; force her to stick to that image. She may also have internal desires to be female. Kimmel and Plante also provide an explanation to Hedwig’s behaviour. They note that inversion in sexual behaviour is a situation where females play the role of males, and males too play the role of females in sex relations. Most female however, remain feminine, and males remain masculine in their attitudes and approaches in homosexual relations (Kimmel and Plante 218). This explains Hedwig’s behaviour. She is the female in a homosexual relationship, but plays the role of a male at some point. Conclusion The main theme here is social construction, and it is evident in the way people are identified as heterosexual, lesbians or homosexuals. There is even the word inversion which is used to explain reversed roles of homosexual partners. With time, the society will get used to calling such sexual behaviour; inversion. The society has philosophers, sociologists, and scientists who they believe in. These people develop theories to explain human behaviour, to which the society takes up, criticizes, and forms languages, and culture out of it. It is all part of social construction. The language leads to development of culture, or norm, influences sexuality. Works Cited Kimmel, Michael. S. and Plante, Rebecca, F. Key word: Sexualities. 2007. Print. McNeal, Laura. Zipped. Random House Childrens Books, 2007. Print. Plante, Rebecca, F. Sexualities in Context. Colorado: Westview Press, 2009. Print. Sanderson, Stephen K. The sociology of human sexuality: A Darwinian alternative to social constructionism and postmodernism. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the American Sociological Association. August 18, 2003. Print. Stein, Arlene. Three Models Of Sexuality: Drives, Identities And Practices, Sociological Theory, 7(1): 1-13. (1989). Print. Read More