Explorations of Gender Identity; A Study of Masculinity and Gender Predicaments in Cormac McCarthy's Suttree

Abstract

Cormac McCarthy's male-centered prose has engendered debate amongst scholars. Are his lack of female characters an expression of misogyny? And does McCarthy simply regenerate gender stereotypes? By using insights from queer theory and R.W. Connell's concept of Hegemonic Masculinity, I will explore how the author can be read as blurring genders as well as critiquing imposed gender norms. Moreover, I will look at how he subverts Freud's Oedipus Complex by placing the mother at the forefront of gender and identity formation. Through the theoretical insights of Melanie Klein, this thesis will examine the mother-child bond depicted in the novel.