BEYOND BINARIES: EXPLORING GENDER FLUIDITY IN EMEZI'S FRESHWATER WITH DIGITAL HUMANITIES AND BUTLERIAN PERFORMATIVITY

Abstract

This research study tends to explore the convoluted portrayal of gender fluidity in Akwaeke Emezi's novel Freshwater through the lens of Judith Butler's theory of Gender Performativity by using digital humanities methodologies. Butler's theory of Performativity suggests that human behaviors are not determined by their gender but by society, and gender roles are merely continuous performance rather than an innate trait, which she called Gender Performativity. This provides a crucial framework for understanding the protagonist Ada's fluid identity, which is influenced by the ogbanje spirits (the supernatural entities from Igbo mythology). By applying the theoretical perspective of Butler, the study tends to reveal how in Freshwater Emezi subverts the traditional norms of binary gender and presents a multifaceted narrative of identity. Through close textual analysis, the paper aims to demonstrate how Ada's interactions with the ogbanje spirits empower her to perform a spectrum of gendered identities, which challenge conventional gender roles. Additionally, the integration of digital humanities tools helps in exploring themes of the novel along with character interactions and narrative structure.