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Ralph Frem

Professor Corri Ditch

English 115

6 November 2017

Radical Women in the Name of Guernsey

In society today, people who are radical in their gender performances are seen as

unacceptable and incorrect. Also, these incorrect gender performances alter other peoples

perspectives and causes them to think that they are not a part of this society. This ideology has

formed multiple social construct norms that people adhere daily today. In The Guernsey Literary

and Potato Peel Pie Society, Elizabeth McKenna and Juliet Ashton are radical in their gender

performances in profound ways throughout the book through their actions and personalities.

Elizabeth breaks norms by her very masculine blunt actions. Elizabeth steps out of her

boundaries and by acting in ways that people only see men do. She completely transforms the

book clubs perspective of her. Juliet is breaking norms through her tough personality, that has

proven to be tagged to her tough past. Juliet is also seen to take the tasks of men in relationships.

Throughout the book this is seen often, and causes these characters to be very influential and

pivotal characters. Therefore, In The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, there are

apparent forms of radical change in gender performances.

Elizabeth is one of the most pivotal and profound characters in this book. She is one of the

most pivotal because her masculine actions allow her to help the book club, and stand up for herself

throughout the book. She is so masculine, that her radical performance causes her to pass away in

a brutal way. This is very abnormal to society because society from and early state has been taught
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two gender identities to adhere to. Lorber in Composing Genders Night to His Day states As a

social institution, gender is one of the major ways that human beings organize their lives (21)

Elizabeth, as a woman, is completely going against her norms, she violates this idea of a Social

Institution. For example, one day the book club was still up after curfew on the German occupied

island. This was forbidden by the strictly enforced German laws to keep the island in order, this

was one of the many rules put in place on the island. As the Guernsey Book Club members were

walking back, they had reached some German soldiers. German soldiers during this time in history

were mostly male and very unapproachable, they were too only follow orders and make sure these

orders are followed. As the soldiers intervened into the group, Elizabeth, as brave as she is, goes

up to the soldiers and apologizes for their actions. As Aaron Devor states is Composing Genders

Becoming Members of Society A more even-handed description of social qualities subsumed by

femininity and masculinity might be to label masculinity as generally concerned with egoistic

dominance and femininity striving for cooperation or communion. Elizabeth is shown to

completely shatter the feminine quality she is supposed to hold. Therefore, she had committed a

hyper masculine act that would only be seen in the male conformity. Soldiers are very intimidating,

especially with the known authority they have during this time in history. When a women stands

up to a man, it is abnormal, but when it is done to a soldier, its a whole new form of abnormal to

social construct norms. The fact that Elizabeth went up to the soldiers, even before men did proves

that her actions are completely radical in this book.

Prison is one of the most masculine things that can be thought of today. When someone

says prison, the mind may automatically go to masculine identity, and in very rare cases

feminine identity. Even if the thought did include any form of a female identity, the female

presence would be turned into more masculine presences due to the environment of prison.
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Especially during this time in history, it was completely wrong and backwards to see a woman in

jail, it just did not connect for many people in society. Women were supposed to take care of

their families and have being a mother the only job they should have. For Elizabeth McKenna,

this did not seem to faze her even a little bit. Elizabeth had been helping a polish salve worker

hide from the soldiers, and when the German Soldiers found out about this situation, Elizabeth

was sent to jail. Many people hid others during the war, but the risk was very great. Elizabeth

knew hiding this man would cause her to be at risk, and she was ready to face up to the risk. This

proves that even though Elizabeth is a woman, she still could act in any way she wants. Being

tough and proving herself is not just a masculine identity, It does not need to be biologically

correct. Jason Del Ganido states in Rhetoric for Radicals that Our Masculine and feminine

characteristics are in no way biologically determined, but rather socialized into rigid categories

(113). Elizabeth proves this idea by facing the soldiers and going into prison. The socialized

rigid categories are against this idea, but biologically, her actions are most definitely not

determined because she is a woman. Elizabeth all throughout the book is the backbone of the

club, and she helpscharacters go forward. Regardless of her biological definition as a female, she

acted very tough, even more tough then the male characters. By acting in the way she does, she

is breaking gender norms, and is looked upon as radical in society.

In REVEL for Sociology: A Down-to-Earth-Approach 13th edition it states that Around

the world, gender is the primary devision between people. Every society sorts men and women

into groups and gives them different access to property, power, and prestige. Sorting men and

women give women the less advantage in prestige. Elizabeth McKenna goes against this in the

most extreme possible ways. During this time in history, Internment Camps were very common

and caused a lot of fear. These camps committed unspeakable acts that were horrifying. As
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Elizabeth was doing her duty by digging a trench for potatoes, she took the blame for stealing a

potato for her friend. This was cause for her to be sent to a camp. The camp was horrible and

they hurt the people who were in them. During one of the days there, Elizabeth had seen a

woman get beaten up for a reason no fault of her own, Elizabeth then stood up for the woman by

beating the guard that was beating the woman. This caused a lot of tension and aggravation in the

camps that led to her punishment. The soldiers saw this act and then took Elizabeth and executed

her by rifles. This is was very shocking, especially because of the fact that these men killed a

women by execution through rifles. This demonstrates that Elizabeth was so radical in her

gender performance, that it led to her death.

The next character that is radical in their gender performances is Juliet Ashton. In this

part of the 1900s in society, women were discriminated quite heavily. Women were expected to

be submissive and stick to a certain personality in their lives. In Rhetoric for Radicals, Gandio

states that Our society literally supports the masculine over the feminine. Thus, women, even

when living up to their feminine expectations, are valued less than men. (114). This relates to

how women are strictly seen to have very few jobs as a true occupation. Women are mainly seen

as to stick to their position as a mother, and only a mother. May men believed that there were

jobs that men are just meant to do due to stability and extraneous environments. However, for

Juliet, this does not stop her for pursuing a career in a male dominant field, journalism. She had

been writing a comedy strip in The London Times but she always pursued for something larger,

which she will eventually get due to her persistence with her publishers. As a woman in the job

she chooses to do, she is looked at as radical in her gender performances because she may be

dominant, forceful, and aggressive, which would be making her bossy in society.
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Juliet is also radical in her gender performance not only through her occupation, but her

attitude and performance in multiple relationships. Jessi L. Smith, in Meghan Huntoons

Womens Bragging Rights states that Within gender norms is the expectation that women

should be modest. We argue that violating this modesty norm by boasting about ones

accomplishments causes women to experience uncomfortable situational arousal that leads to

lower motivation for and performance on a self-promotion task. The modesty norm is seen

through women when they are taught from an early age. Women are taught to never yell and be

respectful to people they meet. However, Juliet is seen to break this modesty norm. Juliet after a

night out with Mark Reynolds and a failed proposal, returned to his flat. There, they both argued

and had shout at each other over whom is right. She proved to stand up for herself, and not settle.

Many people in society, especially during this time have found it unusual, because it is not

feminine-like, which has caused her to be radical in her gender performance.

Juliets radical actions in her performance can also lead to much more positive things in

the book. Devor states that Very young children learn their cultures social definitions of gender

and gender identity at the same time they learn what gender and gender identity.(36).

Children, from watching movies to being taught about cultural norms in school and home, are

taught that a man must always propose for the womens hand in marriage. It is the right thing to

do because the man is the dominant figure in the relationship, and the man will be upholding his

wife and the family throughout their lives. When anyone sees the opposite occur, it is seen as

abnormal, but to Juliet this did not mean anything. In the month of September 1946, Juliet

decides to finally take her own action and ask Dawsey to marry her. This shows that she can

break free of the social norms and profess her love to Dawsey, in return she is looked at as

radical due to her being radical in her gender performance.

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In conclusion, Elizabeth and Juliet proved to be very radical in their gender

performances. During post World War II, this is a very brave thing to do. But Elizabeths action

proved to be critical for the book club, and the plot in which the book follows. Elizabeth truly

was pivotal thanks to her radical gender performances. Juliets radical performance allowed her

to stand up for herself, and be the women she wanted to be. Without the radical actions of these

women, the course of the book would have changed, from the book club not existing to the

characters of the book club not standing up for what is right.

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Works Cited

Groner, Rachel, and John F. OHara. Composing Gender: a Bedford spotlight reader. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2014. Judith Lorber Night to His Day Pg.21 As a social institution, gender is
one of the major ways that human beings organize their lives

Gandino , Jason Del . Rhetoric for Radicals. New Society Publishers, 2008. Pg 113 Our
Masculine and feminine characteristics are in no way biologically determined, but rather
socialized into rigid categories.

Henslin, James M. Revel for Sociology: A Down-to-Earth-Approach 13th Edition. Pearson 2016

Around the world, gender is the primary division between people. Every society sorts
men and women into groups and gives them different access to property, power, and
prestige

Gandino , Jason Del . Rhetoric for Radicals. New Society Publishers, 2008. Pg 114 Our society
literally supports the masculine over the feminine. Thus, women, even when living up to
their feminine expectations, are valued less than men.

Jessi L. Smith Meghan Huntoons Womens Bragging Rights Within gender norms is the
expectation that women should be modest. We argue that violating this modesty norm

Groner, Rachel, and John F. OHara. Composing Gender: a Bedford spotlight reader. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2014. Aaron Devor Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of
Gender Pg.36 Very young children learn their cultures social definitions of gender and
gender identity at the same time they learn what gender and gender identity.
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Groner, Rachel, and John F. OHara. Composing Gender: a Bedford spotlight reader. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2014. Aaron Devor Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of
Gender Pg. 39 A more even handed description of social qualities subsumed by
Femininity and masculinity might be to label masculinity as generally concerned with
Egoistic dominance and femininity striving for cooperation or communion