Gail Scott's Heroine

Gender is an aspect of our society that as an impact on many things, from our interpersonal relations to how we perceive others upon first meeting them. Although it is a social construct, something fabricated (Tripp 1), gender and the theory that surround and support it has an effect on the social expectations we have for us and others. The gender dynamics that have followed it have also impacted our society, dividing it even more by dictating the way one should behave based mostly on their gender alone, rather than based on personal interests or personality. Indeed, gender dynamics dictate personality, it “constructs us” (Tripp 7). Such gender ideas also helped create the patriarchal society we live in today, and the ideals we have for both women and men (gender non-conforming people being excluded by such ideals because of the nature of gender ideals and the nature of gender non-conformity not being compatible, as one is the antithesis of the other). The breaking away from set gender roles, especially women gender roles, has led to the birth of feminism, and the fight for an equality revoked by the masculine so-called superiority (Tripp 7). But feminism is not without its flaws, either, and has itself led to some binaries and oppositions. Can women be feminine and still feminists, or must they conform to the masculine gender roles to be taken seriously? Can women still be feminists if they work in public service and are not considered “successful”? Can women still be feminists if they look down upon other women? Such struggles, which are still present but were even more back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, are well explored in Gail Scott’s Heroine. Indeed, the novel, especially the chapter “Car Wrecks and Bleeding Hearts,” explores the struggles women face regarding the approach to take for their feminism through the perspective of the main character, a self-proclaimed feminist also named Gail. In the chapter, Gail Scott, the author, frames her character’s narrative and struggles in her perception of femininity and feminism around the women that she encounters. The women service workers, whom her character resents and undermines, help explore her views on women working in more masculine public spheres. Gail herself, and her perception she has of herself, her success and her more masculine behaviour and surroundings, setting her apart from everyone else (in her mind) reinforces the way her feminism is tailored to encourage conforming to masculine gender roles rather than setting herself free from them. Finally, Marie, a central character to the novel, represents everything that Gail, the character, does not grasp about the gender dynamics that surround her, from her feminine nature to her assurance and agency and success, referencing once again the struggles women have faced regarding the duality between femininity and feminism.

There are many differences between men and women, most of which relate to the conceptualization by society of gender, the dynamics that have followed such a concept and, ultimately, affected both men and women and dictated through expectations of behaviour and performance their ways of being. Because of its state as a social construct, so something defined and created rather than natural, and its status as a binary, gender works in opposites. What makes a woman is everything that does not make her a man, and vice versa (Tripp 6). Each gender relies on its opposite to define itself because by definition it is the opposite of the other. Moreover, because of this logic, partaking in gender roles that are not associated to one’s own gender is viewed as problematic. For example, “adolescent boys do not dream of marriage, but careers and a professional future,” (Tripp 113) whereas women do, and even are encouraged to do so. Darwinian philosopher Helena Cronin defines masculinity as “more competitive, ambitious, status-conscious, dedicated, single-minded and persevering,” (Tripp 2) and so situates women and femininity as the exact opposite. Femininity would then signify being of a calmer nature, easy going, unambitious, unbothered by social status, and devoted. Women are also characterised, stereotypically, and according to the basics of gender binaries, as “excellent wives and mothers, capable housewives,” (Tripp 131) and are interested in feminine things such as “personal appearance” (Tripp 131). The way in which this relates to the novel and its main subject of feminism is that during the 1970’s, the time during which this book takes place, feminism “emphasised not only the cultural construction of gender, but the cultural construction of Gender Inequality,” (Tripp 5) meaning that the issue encountered by most feminists in that time was that the society and its basic patriarchal structure was made in a way that “priviledg[ed] men’s interests over women’s” (Tripp 5). Indeed, in a society of the sort, masculine traits become the ideal, and feminine traits become subordinates whose only relevance is to “delineate and magnify” (Tripp11) the superiority and dominance of the masculine, again adding relevance and importance to the binary. It is also important to note that women are encouraged by the patriarchal culture to develop their stereotypically accepted femininity (Tripp 119), but are also shunned for doing exactly that, or rather, “perpetuating that process” (Tripp 119) of women being subjected to inferiority against men. Basically, society forces women to be womanly and inferior but shames them for having a feminine, inferior behaviour as well, because once again of the masculine ideal. Again, relevant to gender dynamics of the 1970’s and the superior masculine is that intellectual endeavors made by women were also perceived as masculine acts, and sometimes associated with desires to be a man or be perceived as one (Tripp 130). Overall, the gender roles applied to women and the gender dynamics between men and women work against women because of the patriarchally recognised masculine superiority and also because of the binary relationship the two genders have with one another.

The women service workers that Gail, the character, encounters in the novel help understand her views on feminism, most importantly what she includes in her feminism and what she doesn’t. Feminism is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,” (Merriam-Webster) or, “organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests,” (Merriam-Webster) two things that can seem at first similar but are also quite different. The first definition focuses on equality, regardless of gender, and is more theorical, whereas the second one is all about gender, and also actions taken to obtain rights for women specifically. The feminism that is mentioned in the novel and that is engaged upon by Gail, the character, is the second one, but mostly the breaking away from prescribed gender roles, as her focus is strictly on women and ways to achieve her goals. The women service workers, such as the masseuse or the bar-salon waitress, do not fit Gail’s definition of feminism, because they are quite literally serving the population. They are also serving in spaces that are predominantly masculine, and so serving mostly men. When Gail visits the masseuse, she mentions that “Tuesday is the only day for women,” (Scott 44). This, without stating it, mentions that all the other days are for men, and this space being an environment where nudity occurs, one could assume women would be prohibited on other days. This space is inherently anti-feminist. The masseuse is then described as “slow, having gained weight and become red in the face,” (Scott 44) a state of almost decay. The focus on slowness and the weight gain implies the lost of value, like damaged goods. With this comment, Scott engages with the perception society has of women that serve men, and the way we, including Gail, the character, view them as anti-feminist and repealing of the women’s rights movement. This situation is once again engaged upon with the bar-salon waitress. The bar itself is also described as a very masculine space, with its “dark shirts,” (Scott 46) black being associated to power and wealth, something masculine associated in the novel, and “wire-rimmed glasses, “(Scott 46) a frame popular in the masculine sphere at the time. The women serving them are then in the same situation as the masseuse, subjected to the gender roles they were forced into. What sets Gail’s feminism in the encounter with the waitress is mostly their interaction. This is a situation where, like mentioned earlier, women are forced into gender roles by society but shunned for perpetuating them too. When the waitress comments on the disparity between Westmount and the rest of the city, she says “that’s where they shit on us from,” (Scott 46) situating herself below those who have wealth (the men) and stating clearly her state as a servant to them, available for their abuse. To this, Gail replies, in her head, “on you” (Scott 46). With this, she sets herself apart once again from the workers and sees them as below her. Gail’s definition of feminism here does not include them, as they are serving, and most importantly, serving men, which reinforces the idea that her personal feminism is not about gender equality but rather about breaking away from gender roles, and so mostly of women’s servitude of men. As mentioned earlier, those women fit very well the gender roles prescribed at the time, which encourages women to embody this role of servitude for others and lack their own agency. By doing this, they emphasize men’s power. By being repulsed by the masseuse, and by thinking herself overly superior to the waitress, Gail reinforces the idea that her feminism is more related to not respecting gender roles and subverting expectations.

The character of Gail herself, and the way she sees herself, contradicts pretty well the woman workers and helps set even more her view on feminism. Indeed, Gail’s very own way of gaining agency and power in the world is to become more masculine, and to occupy the same spaces the men she encounters do, in the same way they do it. In the same encounter as mentioned before with the bar-salon waitress, Gail distances herself by stating her ambition to go “straight to the top,” (Scott 46), referencing the fact that the workers are underneath the men that they serve, and that one day she would be as successful and as powerful as them. Gail’s notion of power does not come by subverting the gender roles, or by finding her own identity and gender expression, but rather by conforming to the gender roles attributed to men. In fact, the simple idea that Gail has ambition is against her set womanly nature and is more relevant to masculine gender roles. The fact that she wants to have a career and make it big only reinforces that, too. Another instance of where such a thing happens is when Gail is having coffee in the café with the writers. “I felt so good, so free,” (Scott 51) she says about it, linking the idea of the masculine space being her own, and using language relevant to freedom, as if being womanly was restricting to her, or rather imprisoning her in a situation she did not want to be in. Rather than trying to break out of the restraints, she simply adopts mannerisms and behaviours associated with masculinity, and surrounds herself with men to make her aspirations become reality. Scott associates the two again, but through interaction this time, a little later, by having the sentences “all the others were holding their sides,” (Scott 52) meaning they were laughing, linked with, right after, “I was laughing, too” (Scott 52). These also situate Gail in a masculine space, but also states that she also feels like she also has her space there, complicity with the men also occupying the space, because she is masculine enough to exist within it. It does not, however, imply that she does belong fully, as the passage does not say we, but rather situates her apart from the whole that the male writers are by mentioning them first and her second. By having Gail have this form of feminism, one where she feels more at home with men writers, and successful, dominating men, Scott engages once again with the idea of the superior masculine that was present in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Gail, however, does contradict the ideals for women of being a housewife with no ambition, of the time by being more masculine in her own aspirations, thus so challenging the set gender roles. She does not, however, try to break out of her society’s prescribed behaviours or encourage anyone to do it. Overall, by having Gail’s feminism not be subversive, and by having Gail conform to gender roles, even though they are not her own, Scott reinforces the idea that Gail’s personal feminism is not about freeing other women from men’s power, but rather to achieve the same amount of power over everyone herself.

Marie, unlike Gail, represents the idea that when breaking away from gender roles, one can achieve the first definition of feminism mentioned by Merriam-Webster, the one that aims for equality of everyone, instead of being organized activity on behalf of women’s rights, in such a way that Gail cannot help but be attracted to, as seen in their sexual relationship, rather than try to emulate, and sometimes even feel negatively towards. Indeed, Marie does not exist within the bounds of gender roles, and has instead broken away from them, something that has made her successful and has given her agency. Marie does not conform, but instead has taken the elements of prescribed gendered behaviour that suited her, regardless of the gender they are prescribed to, and made them her own. Like Gail, Marie is ambitious. After all, she has a career at the “film board” (Scott 39), and makes 40K a year working, something equivalent to about 200K nowadays. But unlike Gail, Marie also focuses on her femininity, by making herself pretty and womanly, and does not prevent it from being obvious to her surroundings. Many descriptions of Marie focus on her appearance, such as when she wears “white silk,” with “vermilion lips on powdered skin,” (Scott 38). By describing her as so, Scott engages with Gail’s perspective on Marie, and how she deems her behaviour anti-feminist. The relationship between both situations, both sides of Marie, seems to annoy Gail, as she also is trying desperately to be successful in her writing career through her masculine behaviour and conformity but isn’t as prolific as Marie, who is feminine still. This womanly side of Marie also bothers Gail, as Gail thinks all this focus on beauty and femininity is “covering the face of the seventies feminist,” (Scott 39) meaning Marie lost her feminism in the process of becoming womanlier, or is at least hiding that side of herself. This is a clash of both views on feminism, and Gail does not comprehend how Marie can still be feminist even if she does conform to part of the gender roles attributed to women. She does not comprehend either why Marie would want a career, or why she would choose to be as ambitious as a man without adopting their gender expression fully. Because of this, Gail applies all the women gender roles on Marie, and so the ones that prescribe that women cannot be as ambitious as men and cannot be as successful, and views her as “using herself up without thinking about her health,” (Scott 43) and so in a negative light rather than to be proud of women for being successful too. Gail cannot understand, because of the gender roles, that Marie can be both feminine and hard-working. With Marie, Scott contradicts fully both feminisms and exposes Gail’s view on feminism as still relying on gender roles and pre-determined expression, while still demonstrating that other ways of viewing things, such as breaking away from said gender roles, do not prevent one’s success and might promote it instead.

To conclude, the feminism in Gail Scott’s Heroine, especially in the chapter “Car Wrecks and Bleeding Hearts,” represents pretty well the struggles Gail, the novel’s main character, encounters regarding her own feminism and the gender dynamics that surround her. This is especially represented through the women Gail interacts with, from the service workers to Gail herself to Marie. All interact and conform differently to gender roles and provoke a different reaction within Gail herself, helping set even further her personal views on feminism.

Works Cited

“Feminism.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism.

Scott, Gail. Heroine. Coach House Books, 2019.

Tripp, Anna, editor. Gender. St. Martins Press, 2000.