ISBN-13: 9780415916875 / Angielski / Twarda / 2002 / 244 str.
ISBN-13: 9780415916875 / Angielski / Twarda / 2002 / 244 str.
This work attempts a feminist and psychoanalytic investigation of the contemporary fascination with impersonation. Questions raised include: when - and for whom - is a performance of an identity a masquerade, rather than the real thing?, why do people try to pass as what they are not?, and is there a difference between masquerade and passing if both make identity an unnatural act? Questions raised by female impersonations in a wide range of contemporary media are considered, from Dolly Parton and Renee Richards to Luce Irigaray and Jacques Derrida. The text aims to tackle the problems involved in the complex politics at stake in every discussion - and performance - of identity.