Female Identity In The Magic Toyshop

The last method that females in general and Melanie in particular have used to construct their gender identities can be seen in light of the heroine’s relationship with the other “male” sex. In The Magic Toyshop, the concept of gender identity can be clarified through studying both male and female identity in terms of analyzing their relationships. Thus, to understand female identity, it seems imperative to refer to the role of male identity in forming female identity. Studying the psychological aspects of male characters, such as Finn and Uncle Philip, provides us with a deep understanding of the process of gender identity formulation. Moreover, it illustrates the dichotomy of male and female. Humans, in identifying any object, attempt to set it up to its opposite. Thus, humans refer to the identity of other sex in order

His eyes were so shifting, so leering and slippery; the slight cast made one unsure of the direction of his gaze” (Carter, 1967, p. 54). Constructing female identity in light of the male gaze prevents them of forming their real identities and marginalizes female to a sexual tool that satisfying male; Beauvoir argues that the social and cultural norms, which support males, allow female constructing only their stereotypical gender representations; female are expected to belong to male, “she is nothing other than what man decides, she is this called the other"(, 1949, p. 26). Melanie, who is inquisitive about having sexual relationship, turns to change her mind; she recognizes that this experience seems to prevent her from establishing her real gender identity. The sexual relationship that male and female seek reveals the sexual dependent of male and female, which affects the process of gender identity formation and prevents individuals of having an authentic gender