Gender Performativity Of A Transgender Character In Meredith Russo’s If I Was Your Girl

The present study attempts to examine Meredith Russo’s If I Was Your Girl in terms of Judith Butler’s gender performativity concept. By applying the queer criticism approach, particularly gender performativity theory by Judith Butler, this study aims to reveal how gender performativity of Amanda Hardy as a transgender character is portrayed in the novel. The data is acquired by doing several close readings of the novel by paying close attention to the novel’s formal elements such as plot, setting, and characterization that provide evidence of the operation of gender performativity on the character. The result of the analysis reveals that gender performativity is vividly portrayed in the novel through the character Amanda who performs her gender in a way that more reminiscent of feminine mannerism despite being identified male at birth. The repetition of these actions by Amanda constitutes her gender identity and reveals it as feminine. This further proves Butler claims how gender is formed through actions rather than innate essence originated from sex categories