Superwoman: A Breakthrough from Conventional Victorian Society in Shaw's "Man and Superman"
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This research explores G.B. Shaw's play “Man and Superman” through Jacques Derrida's theoretical lens of Deconstruction and Eugenic feminism. Traditionally, in the novel, the protagonist Ann Whitefield is labeled as a liar, bully, hypocrite, and coquette, which led critics to view Shaw as antifeminist. However, this study argues that Shaw’s portrayal of Ann Whitefield reflects a subversive and progressive feminist vision that refuses and contradicts Victorian norms of ideal womanhood. Shaw dismantles gender binaries by presenting Ann not as a passive woman, but as a dominant, intellectually superior Figure a Superwoman. This study repositions Shaw as a pioneering feminist thinker who critiques patriarchal norms and envisions women as active architects of evolutionary and societal progress. This study concludes that Shaw dismantles traditional male-female binaries and highlights Ann's agency in emphasizing women's crucial roles in reproduction and social leadership, thus underscoring her transformative impact on both personal and societal evolution.
Source: Global Sociological Review
Authors: Naima Noreen, Sonia Gul, Aminah Ali
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Gender equality
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413399524