Lift the Multiple Veils on Genders Roles in Blue Velvet

Abstract

This essay aims to illustrate how gender performativity exhibits gender roles in David Lynchs movie Blue Velvet. This essay brings about the collapse of the stereotyped traditional binary opposition of gender roles. Gender roles rely on the performance of people. However, peoples performances are restricted by society, which has various possibilities. Based on Performative Acts and Gender Constitution (1988) by Judith Butler, this paper analyzes four protagonists various gender performances in Blue Velvet. By going deeper into the psychoanalysis of protagonists and analyzing their behavior choices, this essay argues that Lynch intends to inform his viewers that there is no fixed gender role even in one single person. Through exhibiting the diversity of gender roles, various social environments are presented. David Lynch believes that once peoples gender roles become peaceful, the social environment can also exhibit a peaceful and mild image. This finding contributes to the subversion of gender roles in Blue Velvet.