Boys have it better.
Or at least, that’s what a respectable number of fictional heroines seem
to think. If a girl wants to run off
adventuring, soldering, thieving, or pirating it’s in her best interest to disguise
herself as a boy. Pants are much more practical
than skirts, short hair is easier to wash, and it’s nice to take a deep breath without
a corset. Plus, no cooking or cleaning,
and you’re allowed to curse! What could
go wrong?
From Mulan, to Shakespeare’s Rosalind, to Tolkien’s Eowyn, literature’s
leading ladies having been taking a more masculine path for a long time. An Indian fable composed by Somadeva, The Red Lotus of Chastity, is yet
another example of this trope in action(Norton Anthology 1274). In the tale Devasmita is the beloved wife of
Guhasena. They are separated in the
course of business, but each are granted an enchanted red lotus. Were either partner to be unfaithful in their
time apart, the others lotus would wilt and die. When Devasmita learns of a plot that
endangers her husband she realizes she must disguise herself as a merchant so
that she will be free to save him. After
great cunning on her part Devasmita is able to save her husband and punish the
wicked (1279).
Devasmita is forced to disguise herself, as every heroine
who attempts this is forced to, because their gender is not treated equaly in
the society they live in. Mulan must
join the army to save families honor, but women are not allowed in the armed
forces. Devasmita needs to travel to her
husband, but women cannot travel unaccompanied.
The society these characters live in force them to take action outside
of their ascribed roles. By masquerading
as men they are able to move freely, do great deeds, and be the hero. Often a heroine will have the skill required
for the adventure at hand (handling a sword, ship, speeches) but she cannot be acknowledged
as having those skills as a woman. It is
rare for a heroine to face consequences for lying to the people around
her. After all, she has usually saved
the day. But even more rarely is there
any active change in the community that would make further masquerades unnecessary.
As time passes, and women find themselves in a more equal
society these tales take on a quaint antiquated air. They become the stuff of ballads and
legends. Which is for the best. I feel like the story line has played itself
out. The only real opportunity for a new
story with this exercise is in satire.
Terry Pratchett’s Monstrous
Regiment is an excellent example of playing with expectations about gender
roles. And there is a lot more humor to
be found in a role reversal of this.
Huck Finn dressing up as a girl plays a lot better to a modern reader
than a girl dressing up as a boy because she can’t work as a girl. Because there’s nothing funny about oppression. But cross dressing? That’s comedy gold.
Works Cited
Pucher,
Martin, eds. The Norton Anthology of
World Literature: New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013. Print.
