UDC 305:821.111 (73) Le Guin
O. Barbaniuk
(Kamianets-Podilsky National Ivan Ohiienko University)
GENDER ASYMMETRY IN
FICTION FANTASY WORLD OF URSULA LE GUIN
The article deals with the gender asymmetry of the hyperreal fantasy world, which, above all, manifests itself in the unequal rights of men and women within the magical hierarchy, their polar intentions in creating magic – the fundamental element of the author’s reality, created by an outstanding epic fantasy writer Ursula Le Guin.
Key words: fantasy, hyperreal world, Ursula Le Guin, magic, gender, asymmetry
The formation and intensive development of gender studies in linguistics, which has come to the fore at the last decades of the twentieth century, is associated with a change in the scientific paradigm in the humanities under the influence of postmodern philosophy. A new understanding of the categorization processes, the refusal to recognize the objective truth, interest in subjective rights, to the private life of a person, the development of new theories of the individual, the theory of social constructivism in particular, led to the reconsiderationof the scientific principlesof seeing into such categories as ethnicity, age and gender, previously interpreted as biologically determined [1].
However, in addition to their biological differences, there is a division in people of their social roles, forms of activity, differences in behavior and emotional characteristics as well. A new approach required the use of a new terminology that more closely corresponded to researchers methodological settings, which led to the introduction of the term gender to denote the totality of social and cultural norms that the society orders people to perform depending on their biological sex [2]. Therefore, being a man or woman within any society means not only having some or other anatomical features, but also fulfilling the proposed gender roles.
The authorwithin the fantasy genre primarily creates a new world. S. Lukianenko once stated: “Every text is a specific creation of the world. Sometimes it’s completely new. “Creating a new world is not easy, because it should be as realistic as possible, despite different deviations from the laws of the objective reality. The real basis of the fictional world gives him the true coloring. Such a hyperreal world of fantasy genre is an author’s construct with its own rules and laws.
However, it is undeniable that, within the scope of works of epic fantasy (a striking example of which is the cycle of Ursula Le Guin Earthsea), this overreal world is identified with magic, first of all. Actually, based on the examples of the cycle novels, MAGIC is the hyperreal world, an all-encompassing essence, because we observe the magic of the names, things, numbers, loci, knowledge, men, women, evil, darkness, reincarnations, elements, colours, languages, etc.
Therefore, Magic as the central concept of hyperreal world by Ursula Le Guinis semanticized through the following oppositions: light / darkness, husband / wife, life / death, which trace their origins from the ancient Oriental philosophy of the Tao, which the author admired and followed.
MAGIC is a predominantly characteristic feature of men, in which we see gender inequality. A significant role in magic is paidto gender asymmetry, the role of a man and woman in its creation is clearly outlined, and since, a man is a full and powerful creator, a bearer of a magical beginning, then MAGIC IS MAN.
Hence, MAGIC is realized within the profiles to denote:
– a man – witchmen of little account [T.1. WE]; power belongs to men [T.1. WE]; he is a wise man and a wizard [T.1. WE]; men of power [T.1. WE]; witchmen – men of power [T.1. WE]; wizardry was a man’s work, a man’s skill [T.4. LBE]; magic was made by men [T.1. WE – T.4. LBE]; a man witch [T.4. LBE];
– anopposition “not a woman” – it’s different for a woman and a man [T.4. LBE]; a man gives out, a woman takes in [T.4. LBE]; if women had power what would men be but women who can’t bear children? [T.4. LBE]; it’s not a weapon or a woman can make a man, or magery either, or any power, anything but himself [T.4. LBE].
Consequently, within the fictional world of Earthsea, MAGIC is predominantly interpreted as a man’s essence, because men, in contrast to women, are full creators and carriers of magic with good intentions [3].
In opposition to it, MAGIC is conceptualized in the metaphor MAGIC is WOMAN (MAGIC IS WOMAN). The objectification of this conceptual metaphor is representedinthe following profiles:
– ahate object – what did he dislike you for? – for being a woman, mostly;
– a mistake – to be a woman was her fault;
- adherent of the dark forces – most women of the house were adepts of dark arts;
– cruelty, anger – some witches were fierce, bitter women.
Thus, the negative role of women in the creation of magic, their insignificant and humiliating position in the hyperreal world under investigation, created by Ursula Le Guin,is asserted.
Confrontation between male and female beings is observed in the following: a queen is only a she-king [T.4. LBE]; there cannot be she-archmage [T.4. LBE].
The woman herself, in fact, as well as her magic, is weak and mean, she is at the lowest level of the magical hierarchy: Weak as woman’s magic, wicked as woman’s magic, powers of woman, village witch, ordinary witch.
Thus, the hyperreal world of Ursula Le Guin is masculine, “non-feminine”, in which the social roles of the characters are clearly defined – men occupy high positions, endowed with secret authentic knowledge, are supreme magicians and carriers of good intentions, while women are, often engaged in witchcraft, serve the forces of darkness.
LITERATURE:
- Kirilina A. V. Issledovanie gendera v lingvisticheskih nauchnyh disciplinah // Gendernye obrazovanie v sisteme vyssheji srednejshkoly: sostojaniei perspektivy: Materialy mezhdunarodnoj nauchnoj konferencii, Ivanovo, 24-25 ijunja 2003 g. Ivanovo: Ivan. gos. un-t, 2003. S. 132-138.
- Haleeva I. I. Gender v teorii i praktike obuchenija mezh”jazykovoj kommunikacii // Gender: jazyk, kul’tura, kommunikacija: Doklady Pervoj Mezhdunarodnoj konferencii. M., 2001. S. 7–11. 3. McLean S. The Power of Women in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Tehanu // Extrapolation. 1997. № 38. P. 111-158.
ILLUSTRATIONS:
- T1. [WE] Guin, Ursula le A Wizard of Earthsea: [Електроннийресурс]. Режим доступу : http://readr.ru/ursula-le-guin-a-wizard-of-earthsea.html.
- T2. [TA] Guin, Ursula le The Tombs of Atuan: [Електроннийресурс]. Режим доступу : http://readr.ru/ursula-le-guin-the-tombs-of-atuan.html.
- T3. [FS] Guin, Ursula le The Farthest Shore: [Електроннийресурс]. Режим доступу : http://readr.ru/ursula-le-guin-the-farthest-shore.html.
- T4. [LBE] Guin, Ursula le Tehanu. The Last Book of Earthsea: [Електроннийресурс]. Режим доступу: http://readr.ru/ursula-le-guin-tehanu-the-last-book-of-earthsea.html.