Gender and Existentialism

Reading the ideas Judith Butler's "From Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity" in my mind, paralleled ideas associated with existentialism. A fundamental principle of existentialism as phrased by David Banach states that "nothing outside of us can determine what we are and what we are good for, we must do it ourselves." Butlers article asserts "this 'body' often appears to be a passive medium that is signified by an inscription from a cultural source figured as 'external' to that body" (496). Analyzing both ideas represents the struggle women face in society. Although ideally we would like to be able to define ourselves for ourselves as Banach suggests, the society we live in and the cultures we are a part of have already done so for us. For example, as black women, we are generally thought of as loud and dominating. However, attending Spelman may place us in a category of a more demure, polished young lady. Existentialism realizes that one may not be able to change society's view of one's self however, the true goal is to not let society's view of one's self become one's own view of self. According to Foucault and Nietzsche, "cultural values emerge as the result of an inscription on the body, understood as a medium, indeed, a blank page" (497). Likewise, existentialism suggests that one is a blank canvas later defined by whatever picture one chooses to paint with the materials given to him. In other words, one's cultural values and ideas are represented by the inscription (picture) one creates on one's blank canvas (body).

In addition, "The Woman-Identified Woman" by RADICALESBIANS is very relevant to an issue currently being addressed on the L word. One of the characters, a black woman named Tasha has been given leave from the military because she is being investigated for homosexual conduct. As a result, she is fighting for "her life" which has been predominantly military-based. In contrast, her girlfriend Alice doesn't understand why she wants to stay in the military so badly since she is forced to be someone she's not. Their back-forth argument is reflected in the article: "These needs and actions, over a period of years, bring her into painful conflict with people, situations, the accepted ways of thinking, feeling and behaving, until she is in a continual state of war with everything around her, and usually with herself" (237). Although Tasha (as a member of the military) is in a literal war, she is also battling Alice's ideas but ultimately her fight is with herself because she has to decide if the military is worth denying who she is.