Re is a de Es udios No eame icanos, nº 19 (2015), Se ille, Spain, ISSN 1133-309-X, 67-81.
REPURPOSING ‗DISREPUTABLE GENRE
MATERIALS‘: E.L. DOCTOROW‘S SUBVERSION
OF HEGEMONIC GENDER CONFIGURATIONS IN
WELCOME TO HARD TIMES
MARÍA FERRÁNDEZ SAN MIGUEL
Uni e sidad de Za agoza
[email p o ec ed]
Recei ed 11 Augus 2015
Accep ed 4 May 2016
KEYWORDS
Gende iden i y; gende iolence; pe o ma i i y; polyphony; pos wes e n
PALABRAS CLAVE:
Iden idad de géne o; pe o ma i idad; poli onía; pos wes e n; iolencia de géne o
ABSTRACT
Welcome o Ha d Times (1960) is no a con en ional Wes e n. The no el cons i u es
E.L. Doc o ow‘s i s a emp o u n wha a he ime was conside ed ―dis epu able
gen e ma e ial‖ in o a wo k o ic ion ha could yield ele an meanings o
con empo a y socie y. This is c ucially achie ed h ough he sub e sion o
hegemonic gende con igu a ions in he no el. Hence, he pu pose o his a icle is
o assess he ex en o which Welcome o Ha d Times demy hologizes adi ional
iews o he Wes , as po ayed in he classical Wes e n. The ocus will be on he
ep esen a ion o gende , highligh ing Doc o ow‘s p eoccupa ion wi h iden i y and
i s a i icial con igu a ion. Thus, his pape will explo e he no el‘s ep esen a ion o
al e na i e models o masculini y and manliness. I will also examine i s
ansg essi e a i ude owa ds eminini y and he emale oice, bo h a a hema ic
and a a s uc u al le el, as well as i s denuncia ion o gende iolence.
RESUMEN
Welcome o Ha d Times (1960) no es un ‗wes e n‘ con encional. La no ela
cons i uye el p ime in en o po pa e de E.L. Doc o ow de con e i lo que en
aquella época e a un géne o desac edi ado en una ob a de icción capaz de gene al
signi icados de g an ele ancia pa a la sociedad con empo ánea median e la
sub e sión de con igu aciones de géne o hegemónicas. Así pues, la inalidad de es e
a ículo es e alua has a qué pun o Welcome o Ha d Times desmi ologiza las
pe spec i as adicionales sob e el Oes e Ame icano que el ‗wes e n‘ iene
ep esen ando. La a ención de es e a ículo se cen a en la ep esen ación del géne o,
des acando la p eocupación que Doc o ow mues a con cues iones de iden idad y su
o mación a i icial. De es e modo, es e a ículo explo a á la ep esen ación que la
no ela hace de modelos al e na i os de masculinidad y i ilidad. También
examina é la ac i ud ansg eso a que la no ela mues a hacia la emineidad y la oz
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emenina, an o a ni el emá ico como es uc u al, así como la denuncia de la
iolencia de géne o.
Pe haps one o he ea u es mos widely associa ed wi h he Wes e n by he
popula imagina ion is he ep esen a ion o he male p o agonis as a iolen , ugged
indi idual he o. I s emale coun e pa is in u n a icula ed as a e ined, i uous and
de e mined de endan o lo e, peace and communi y, whose ulne abili y,
ne e heless, equi es he use o iolence by he manly he o o gua an ee he
p o ec ion and he con inua ion o li e in he on ie . Wea y o wha he p obably
pe cei ed as naï e o e simpli ica ion, E.L. Doc o ow ook i upon himsel o u n
wha a he ime was hough o be ―dis epu able gen e ma e ial‖ (Mo is 77) in o a
wo k o ic ion ha could yield meanings ele an o con empo a y exis ence. This,
he achie ed wi h ou s anding li e a y sophis ica ion in his no el, Welcome o Ha d
Times, which inaugu a ed wha has been e med as he ‗New Wes e n‘ o ‗Pos -
Wes e n‘. Published in 1960, Welcome o Ha d Times is E.L. Doc o ow‘s debu
no el. I has been called a mino wo k by some o Doc o ow‘s c i ics, p obably
dazzled by he b igh success o la e wo ks. Howe e , mos ha e ailed o see he
no el‘s ex ao dina y ideological and na a ological alue.
A i s simples , Welcome o Ha d Times is a his o ical ic ion se in he
Dako a Te i o y in he 1870s, igh a e he disco e y o gold. I deals wi h he
des uc ion, ebi h and inal e adica ion o a small on ie se lemen du ing he
coloniza ion o he Wes . Howe e , in spi e o i s classical se ing, Ha d Times is a
highly c a ed, socially-commi ed no el masque ading as a Wes e n. The no el
con ains ales o emendous s uggle, su e ing and pain, o he ex en ha i
becomes an all-encompassing c i ique o indi idualism and sel ishness. I na a es
he uina ion o a p os i u e who su e s ape and emendous inju y a he hands o a
u hless ou law, lea ing he indelible physical and psychological sca s. I ela es he
s uggle o an old man o o e come his shame and guil who inally sees all his
hopes o building a communi y w ecked and aces dea h alone, su ounded by pos -
apocalyp ic uin. I depic s he physical des uc ion o a own ha is wiped o o he
su ace o he ea h by i s own mo al co up ion and lack o sense o communi y.
Mos in e es ingly, he no el manages o con ey all hese s o ies in a well-c a ed
na a i e s yle ha bo h upda es and sub e s he con en ions o he classical
Wes e n in o de o send an impo an message o con empo a y socie y,
an icipa ing he e hical u n in li e a u e ha would ake place in he la e 1980s and
1990s. This a icle ocuses on Welcome o Ha d Times‘ ep esen a ion o and
a i ude owa ds gende . The pu pose is o assess he ex en o which E.L.
Doc o ow‘s no el succeeds in sub e ing adi ional gende con igu a ions, as
po ayed in he classical Wes e n. In wha ollows, I conside Doc o ow‘s
p eoccupa ion wi h he ep esen a ion o al e na i e models o masculini y and
manliness. I will also examine he no el‘s ansg essi e a i ude owa ds eminini y
Repu posing “dis epu able gen e ma e ials” 69
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and he emale oice, as well as i s condemna ion o gende iolence and
opp ession. I
I would like o s a by quo ing he i s ew wo ds o Welcome o Ha d Times:
The man om Bodie d ank down a hal bo le o he Sil e Sun‘s bes ; ha clea ed
he dus om his h oa and hen when Flo ence, who was a edhead, mo ed along
he ba o him, he u ned and g inned down a he . […] Be o e she could say a wo d,
he eached ou and s uck his hand in he colla o he d ess and ipped i down o he
wais so ha he b eas s bounded ou ba e unde he yellow ligh . (3)
As he eade opens Welcome o Ha d Times, he o she is o ced o con on a scene
o sexual ha assmen . Such a i s encoun e wi h he ex is deeply unse ling,
lea ing a a he bi e as e in he mou h and ac ing as a p omise o immense
iolence. Howe e , his opening scene is also highly ele an om a s uc u al poin
o iew because i es ablishes a numbe o ele an hemes om he pe spec i e o
eminis li e a y c i icism. Such analysis will hope ully o e in e es ing insigh s in o
he no el‘s ideology and unc ion.
Welcome o Ha d Times engages in o discussion o gende models and
oles, which as I will a gue, becomes a key elemen in Doc o ow sub e sion and
ewo king o he gen e o he Wes e n.
1
This becomes pa icula ly e iden , i s o
all, h ough he con lic ing e e ences o masculini y and maleness ha pe ade he
no el. Hea ing Flo ence‘s sc eams while she is being sa agely aped, he men who
a e ga he ed in he saloon can only ma el a he Bad Man‘s sexual p owess, and
mis aking he wails o o gasm hey jealously wonde ―wha kind o man i was who
could make he sc eam‖ (4). As his quo e sugges s, masculini y is measu ed by
mos o he male inhabi an s o Ha d Times in a man‘s abili y o make himsel
espec ed h ough he use o o ce, hold his liquo and pe o m sexually. Such iews
o masculini y e ec i ely place he saloon and i s p os i u es a he cen e o male
li e in he F on ie .
A simila a i ude seems o be held by Molly Rio dan. Molly is he o he
p os i u e in he old saloon, and by he end o he i s chap e she will ha e been
sa agely aped and bu ned almos o dea h by he Bad Man, becoming one o he
only su i o s le in he own, oge he wi h he na a o Blue, he newly o phaned
boy Jimmy, and he supposedly dea -mu e Na i e-Ame ican John Bea . Molly
ep esen s he mos isible and o e ly pola ized a i ude owa ds masculini y in he
no el. Fo he , b a e y and he skill ul use o weapons a e he only ea u es ha
1
Nume ous c i ics ha e ocused on he no el‘s success ul sub e sion o he adi ional wes e n (see o
example, Bakke 1984 and 1985; Be ilacqua 1989 and 1990; F eese 1987; Kusni 2004; Jaupaj and
Shumeli 2012). Howe e , none o hem has ocused speci ically on how he no el deploys issues o
gende ep esen a ion and opp ession as a u he ool o sub e he classical con en ions o he gen e.
70 Ma ía Fe ández San Miguel
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quali y a man as such. I is, in ac , wo h poin ing ou ha , in he unde s anding o
gende iden i y, manhood― he s a e o being an adul male―and masculini y
― oughly he se o socially-cons uc ed a ibu es, beha io s and oles gene ally
associa ed o men―amoun o ha ing he cou age o de end women, o oughly
wha has adi ionally been e med ―manliness‖. And so, when he ba man A e y
o ces he o go o he saloon o ge id o he Bad Man o him, she complains o
Blue in such e ms: ―[h]e‘s some man, isn‘ he Blue?‖ (9). Pa adoxically, o Molly
he only eal men in own seem o be he Bad Man, and la e on he shoo e Jenks,
whose a i al in Ha d Times becomes he pe ec excuse o ease Blue o wha she
pe cei es as his p e ious cowa dice: ―‗I hank you, M . Jenks‘, Molly said looking
my way, ‗I ‘s good o ind a man in hese pa s. I wish he Lo d my husband knew
he gun he way you do!‘‖ (74).
I is p ecisely h ough humilia ing commen s like hose ha Molly exe s
he e enge agains Blue o his ailu e o unwillingness o spa e he he su e ing a
he hands o he Bad Man. In e es ingly, howe e , she pe cei es i as his du y no
because o hei sha ed humani y, bu because o his biological sex. Thus,
h oughou he na a i e, Blue du i ully epo s Molly‘s cons an ebukes, in which
she associa es his supposed cowa dice no wi h a de ec in his abili y o empa hize,
bu wi h a de ec i e maleness: ―Ch is ha Bad Man‘s he only man in own! […]
using a lady, o Godsake, ma ching b a e behind a lady‘s ski s‖ (16).
In sho , he di e en a i udes owa ds masculini y ha he inhabi an s o
Ha d Times deploy co espond o a e y adi ional iew o gende models, a iew
ha was ce ainly he hegemonic one a he ime o he na a i e, emained so a he
ime o he no el‘s publica ion, and a guably is s ill in o ce in many ci cles
nowadays.
In e es ingly o he pu poses o he p esen a icle, he cha ac e iza ion o
he no el‘s na a o and p o agonis ac i ely ejec s such hegemonic unde s anding
o masculini y. Thus, in a classical Wes e n Mayo Blue would na u ally s and o
he no el‘s he o and main ep esen a i e o Good who will ul ima ely be o ced o
igh E il as embodied by he no el‘s illain, The Bad Man om Bodie, in o de o
de end he main emale p o agonis , Molly, and assu e he sup emacy o ci iliza ion
on he F on ie . Bu ha is ce ainly no he case in Welcome o Ha d Times. When
con on ed wi h he c ucial on ie c isis—ci iliza ion h ea ened by he wilde ness
and Good h ea ened by E il, a c isis he e ep esen ed by he a i al o he Bad
Man—Blue is unable o espond acco ding o he e hos o iolen he oism. Unlike
he p o o ypical he o, he lacks skill in handling guns, shows ea , and uns away,
abandoning Molly o he a e (Be ilacqua, ―Re ision‖ 84).
In opposi ion o he adi ional manly he o o he classical Wes e n, Blue
ep esen s a much mo e ambiguous, p oblema ic o e en enligh ened a i ude
owa ds gende models, oicing he no el‘s p eoccupa ion wi h gende ca ego ies
and hei a i icial social a icula ion. And so, Blue ac i ely con on s Molly‘s and
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he es o he own‘s iews o hegemonic masculini y: ―[w]e e you any good wi h a
gun Mayo maybe you could each he boy some manliness‘. ‗Tha ‘s no
Manliness‘‖ (153).
2
Thus, Blue‘s ejec ion o weapons and he iolence hey s and
o may be in e p e ed as a symbol o his p og essi e iew o masculini y. Majo
Blue seems o be con inced ha i is possible o build a communi y in he
wilde ness wi hou he use o iolence, by means o coope a ion, communica ion
and neighbo ly beha io . He main ains ha only a ha moniously unc ioning
communi y based on ies o espec , empa hy, and mu ual help can engende social
heal h o he own as well as p o ec i om ou side h ea s. This can be seen in
Blue‘s a emp s o educa e Jimmy in o his own alues and sa e him om Molly‘s
obsession wi h e enge: ―‗p obably you Pa did only one shame ul hing in his li e
and ha was o ush in a e Tu ne .‘ […] ‗Tha was he one ime he was no example
o you. He wen in he e o ge himsel killed‘‖ (165). Jimmy, howe e , in spi e o
his age, has al eady in e nalized he dominan image o masculini y, becoming
Blue‘s g ea es ailu e in he no el. As a su oga e a he , Blue eg e s ha ing
missed his oppo uni y o imp in his p og essi e and an i-essen ialis iews o
gende in o he mind o Ha d Times‘s only child. Jimmy makes he deadsho Jenks
his ole model ins ead, and consequen ly ends up becoming ―ano he Bad Man om
Bodie‖ (211).
I is also wo h poin ing ou ha Blue s ands o he a is /w i e /his o ian in
he no el, a igu e ha will ecu h oughou mos o Doc o ow‘s oeu e.
3
No
su p isingly, he e is much emphasis in Welcome o Ha d Times on Blue‘s ease wi h
wo ds and abili y o in luence, o e en manipula e, people. I is wi h wo ds ha he
manages o coax se e al po en ial se le s o s ay and help him ebuild he own,
which he achie es by means o wha he calls ―some powe ul alking‖ (82). His
g ea es success, howe e , is wi h Molly, who equen ly asks him o ake he away
be o e he Bad Man e u ns and whom he coaxes wi h emp y p omises o sa e y
un il she e en ually su ende s o he a e: ―‗[o]h lo d‘ she wailed, ‗Oh Jesus God,
spa e me om his man, his alke ―‘‖ (150). As a esul , Blue may be said o
ep esen a iew o masculini y ha ejec s he use o weapons in a o o
communica ion, which is igh ly connec ed o his p eoccupa ion wi h building a
communi y.
2
The phallic symbolism o he gun, which has adi ionally been pe cei ed as an ex ension o he penis
and hus a ma k o manliness, could no ha e escaped E.L. Doc o ow h ough his ea ly knowledge o
F eudian psychology. Such associa ion also b ings o mind Lacan‘s no ion o he masculine ―pa ade‖ o
i ili y― he male equi alen o he eminine masque ade (see oo no e 6)― h ough which men a emp
o app oxima e he phallic unc ion, and how such display may o ce hem in o an o e iden i ica ion wi h
he male unc ion, wi h he image o hei sexuali y (Dean 83).
3
In ac , as i happens wi h mos o Doc o ow‘s no els, we a e supposed o be eading he accoun o he
e en s ha he na a o Blue has w i en a his dea hbed. The no el‘s sel - e lexi e conce ns ha e been
explo ed by a numbe o c i ics o he no el, mos ema kably by Be ilacqua (1989) and Jaupaj (2008).

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Howe e , his al e na i e iew o masculini y ha Blue ep esen s and
s i es o de end is no s able o unp oblema ic; a e all, i is only madmen and
isiona ies who succeed in going agains he pe asi e ideology o hei socie y. I
becomes appa en as he na a i e p og esses ha Blue is o men ed by he shame o
being wha e e yone else conside s a cowa d, unable o use his gun and ace he Bad
Man. As he pu s i , ―now he saying is common ha Sam Col made men equal […]
Col ga e e e y man a gun, bu you ha e o squeeze he igge o you sel ‖ (32).
E en wi h his gun d awn, he is pe cei ed as ha mless by he inhabi an s o Ha d
Times, which exes him deeply. Blue‘s shame is igh ly connec ed o he guil ha
he eels o no being able o con on he Bad Man and sa e Molly. In sho , in
Welcome o Ha d Times, Doc o ow is ex emely c i ical o he ways in which
pa ia chy eaches men o pu sue unheal hy, hegemonic expec a ions o masculini y
ha a e ha m ul no me ely o women, bu also o men in pe haps less ob ious ways.
The no el also denounces he ole ha many women play as necessa y collabo a o s
in he pe pe ua ion o hegemonic pa ia chal con igu a ions.
II
Ano he way in which adi ional gende con igu a ions shape he wo ld o Welcome
o Ha d Times and a e sub e ed by i is h ough he depic ion o gende opp ession
and iolence in he F on ie . The mos e iden pe pe a o o gende iolence in he
no el is Clay Tu ne , dubbed he Bad Man om Bodie. As explained abo e, he
e y i s glimpse ha he eade has o Ha d Times is a scene o sexual ha assmen
agains he saloon gi l Flo ence, which be o e long will esul in he iolen dea h.
And so, he eade is o ced o wi ness he image o ―Flo ence ben o e he ups ai s
ailing, ba e, wi h he a ms dangling and he ed hai alling down be ween hem‖
(17). Molly oo is subjec ed o ex eme iolence a he hands o he Bad Man, ba ely
su i ing b u al ape and se e e bu ns all h ough he body. Towa ds he end o he
no el Mae, one o he new p os i u es, will ha e become Tu ne ‘s new ic im, and
he eade will be once again o ced o wi ness a scene o ex eme iolence: Mae‘s
body ―lying ac oss he able, he d ess pulled up a ound he neck. He skull is
b oken and he ee h sca e ed on he able and on he loo ‖ (211).
Howe e , i is no me ely a he hands o Tu ne ha he emale cha ac e s
su e iolence; many o he male membe s o he communi y soon e eal
hemsel es o be c uel agen s o emale opp ession. When he Bad Man akes o e
he saloon du ing his i s coming, Molly is o ced by he ―employe ‖ A e y o go
back he e and y o ge id o him in o de ha she sa es his business, knowing ha
she is mos likely going o ge ― ipped open‖ (9). To con ince he , A e y does no
hesi a e o use iolence, and knowing ha Flo ence has jus been killed, he o ces
Molly o ace a simila a e: ―we hea d A e y yelling wi h a laugh in his oice.
‗Molly! Moll-y-y! […] Molly whe e a e you, gen leman he e wan s o see you‘‖
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(15). E en Blue o a ce ain ex en , by e using o help Molly escape and by pushing
he h ough he saloon doo s, in e ec becomes Tu ne ‘s accomplice and
collabo a o .
Such unsympa he ic a i ude owa ds he emale sex is b ough o he
ex eme by he cha ac e o Za , a Russian pimp who ides he G ea Plains looking
o a own o es ablish his business. His only in e es is p o i and his expe ience has
augh him ha he mos p o i able goods in he Wes a e alcohol and women, o
whom he e e s as ―bee ‖:
F and… I come Wes o a m… bu soon I lea n, I see… a me s s a e… only
people who sell a me s hei land, hei ence, hei seed, hei ools… only hese
people a e ich. And is ha way wi h e e y hing…no mine s ha e gold bu
salesmen o bu os and picks and pans... no cowboys ha e money bu saloons who
sell o hem hei d inks […] So I sell my a m… and I hink… wha need is he e
mo e han seed, mo e e en han whiskey o ca ds is need o Women (63-4).
Thus, Za ep esen s an a i ude owa ds he emale body as a me e commodi y ha
may be bough and sold.
4
He becomes a de ac o owne o his women, since he
holds he money ha he p os i u es make, ensu ing hei dependence. In he case o
one o Za ‘s women, a eenage Chinese gi l, his is li e ally so, since we lea n ha he
bough he om a man who p e ended o be he a he , and la e allows one o he
mine s o ake he as a wi e o he sum o $300 and a p omise o ind ano he
woman as a eplacemen in he saloon. The e o e, i is no wonde ha he e e s o
his p os i u es as his ―p ize he d‖ (40) and is consequen ly disappoin ed when Blue
e uses o accep sexual in e cou se wi h hem in exchange o Za ‘s use o he
own‘s well wa e . A e all, ― he ladies we e his s ock in ade‖ (40). This is
p ecisely he kind o ag eemen ha he eaches wi h he shoo e Jenks, exchanging
he animal lesh ha he hun s o he human lesh o his p os i u es.
In addi ion, Za ‘s women a e subjec ed o a humilia ing ea men ha
ein o ces hei submission and powe lessness. And so, he eade is admi ed o spy
in o he saloon on a Sa u day nigh , while he Chinese gi l o e s d inks o he
mine s on he knees o hei deligh (50). On op o ha , Za does no hesi a e o use
iolence o subdue he p os i u es: ―‗I say wha we do, no one else!‘ Za was
shou ing. And o make his poin he was kicking Mae as she ied o ge up‖ (57). In
ac , e e ences o iolence owa ds hem pe ade he no el: ―[ ]he Russian was
d inking up his own s ock and i made him mean. He knocked a oo h ou o he all
gi l Jessie‘s mou h and on one occasion Miss Adah had o pu him o sleep wi h a
s ick, he was going a he Chinagi l so‖ (108). Women a e, he e o e, p esen ed as
ha ing no o he choice han o comply. This seems o be he case o M s. Clemens,
4
A simila poin has been ele an ly made by Toka czyk, who connec s Za ‘s oppo unism wi h he
Ma xis concep ha capi alism suppo s i sel on he c ea ion o alse needs (50).
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he ―sad g ey-hai ed woman, ull o sags‖ (135) ha is b ough o eplace he
Chinese gi l. M s. Clemens is p esumably an old widow, who inding no o he
means o suppo he sel in he inhospi able Wes is o ced o ind he ―p o ec ion‖
o a pimp and become a p os i u e in exchange o a bed and ood. I is wo h
poin ing ou ha he p os i u es do no submi wi hou igh ing; bu hei a emp s o
ha e hei opinions conside ed and hei igh s espec ed ine i ably end up in
physical iolence agains hem, which assu es hei passi i y.
Thus, wi h Welcome o Ha d Times, Doc o ow a guably inaugu a es a
complex engagemen wi h gende iolence and opp ession. The no el pain s an
ex emely bleak pic u e o he model o p oduc ion and consump ion in he on ie
whe e he physical exploi a ion o women is he p ima y and mos p o i able
economic ac i i y.
5
Finally, he no el p esen s a model o gende in e ac ion ha is
cha ac e ized by unlimi ed male con ol o e , and dis ega d o , emale libe y and
well-being, o he ex en ha he e seems o be a e usal o ex end he ecogni ion o
sha ed humani y o women.
III
The ques ion now is whe he he e is enough e idence o suppo he claim ha he
no el‘s depic ion o gende opp ession and iolence has an e hical g ounding; in
o he wo ds, whe he i is possible o a gue ha Welcome o Ha d Times seeks o
denounce such model o gende domina ion and does no me ely depic i o he
sake o d ama ic e ec . This ask is somewha mo e complex o accomplish han
demons a ing how he no el debunks hegemonic iews o masculini y, as a gued
abo e, because none o he cha ac e s engage in o open c i icism o gende iolence
and commodi ica ion o he emale body, as a guably is he case wi h Blue‘s open
ques ioning o adi ional iews o masculini y. Howe e , i is his a icle‘s
con en ion ha he model o gende subo dina ion and iolence depic ed in he no el
does no go unchallenged, and i is p ecisely h ough he cha ac e o Molly ha
such c i icism is achie ed. In wha ollows I will a emp o show how.
To begin wi h, i is wo h highligh ing he ac ha he cha ac e o Molly in
no way esembles he i uous he oine ha would equen ly appea in he classical
Wes e n. She would adi ionally be a sophis ica ed eas e ne o a spi i ed anche ‘s
daugh e who would exempli y he i uous mo als o he good communi y
(Be ilacqua, ―Re ision‖ 85). Adop ing a discou se o lo e and o gi eness, she
would speak ou agains iolence and agains he idea ha human con lic s can only
be sol ed by he use o o ce. She would also be he ep esen a i e o communal
5
Many c i ics ha e unde s ood he no el‘s e ision o he wes e n as a c i ique o capi alism and i s
indi idualis ic e hos, e en hough none o hem ocuses explici ly on he subo dina ion o women as a
necessa y dimension o i (see o example, Shel on 1983; Bakke 1985; G oss 1983; Coope 1993; an
de Me we 2007; Jaupaj & Shumeli 2012).
Repu posing “dis epu able gen e ma e ials” 75
Re is a de Es udios No eame icanos, nº 19 (2015), Se ille, Spain, ISSN 1133-309-X, 67-81.
solida i y, and o peace ul li e on he on ie . As explained abo e, clea ly di e ging
om such cha ac e iza ion, Molly is a p os i u e whose iolen encoun e wi h he
Bad Man causes he o sus ain long-las ing physical and psychological sca s.
Molly‘s auma ic expe ience ans o ms he in o a mean, c uel, manipula i e
woman whose sole eason o li e is aking e enge on he man who caused he such
emendous pain, ega dless o wha ha m he despe a e need o e ibu ion may
b ing on o he s. This leads Blue o acknowledge ha ― he woman in John Bea ‘s
shack was no longe Molly. Wha had happened in A e y‘s saloon could ne e be
undone‖ (36). In addi ion, a om ep esen ing he alues o communi y, he
p e ious auma ic expe ience also impai s he capaci y o ela e o hose a ound he ,
ende ing he incapable o e e es ablishing no mal a ec i e communal bonds:
―[s]he would ake no pa in he li e on he s ee […]‖ (151); ―I was as i each
pe son coming o own was aking away a li le mo e o he ai o b ea he‖ (157).
G an ed ha jus as Molly pa icipa es in he pe pe ua ion o hegemonic
iews o masculini y, she pa adoxically becomes a key collabo a o in he
opp essi e gende sys em o which she is a ic im. In ha sense, i is wo h
examining Molly‘s willing endo semen o he ole as Blue‘s wi e o begin wi h.
A e he i s coming o he Bad Man, she becomes Blue‘s common-law wi e and is
accep ed as such by he new se le s. This change o social s a us places he in a
comple ely di e en posi ion o ha o he newly a i ed p os i u es, who upon
lea ning ha she is Blue‘s wi e, quickly go om calling he names like ―Madam
Bi ch‖ and ―Lady Bacon Ass‖ o sympa hizing wi h he su e ing: ―poo woman,
ge in‘ bu ned ha way i ‘s no wonde she ain‘ he sel ‖ (62). As Blue ponde s,
―[…] he e is no hing ha a who e will espec mo e han a ma ied woman‖ (60-1).
Molly, on he con a y, sco ns he new p os i u es and ea s hem deplo ably,
mi o ing male opp ession. She is clea ly obli ious o he own p e ious s a us and
indi e en o hei sha ed condi ion as women in a deeply pa ia chal socie y.
Simila ly, a e symbolically achie ing he s a us o a ma ied woman,
Molly‘s beha io e lec s he own hegemonic unde s anding o how o pe o m
gende oles and he illuso y sense o empowe men . This mani es s i sel in a
numbe o a i udes, such as a new emb ace o eligion and he a i icial assimila ion
o ―ladylike‖ manne s: ―[s]he held up he hand, e y ladylike, and smiled and shook
he head. She had d unk he sha e in he old days […] bu i ga e he mo e pleasu e
o e use, i se he apa om he ladies al hough she knew hem be e han hey
hough she did‖ (103). Finally, Molly‘s despe a e obsession wi h secu ing he
p o ec ion o a manly man ha will sa e he om he Bad Man, in e ec cons i u es
a ea i ma ion o he adi ional unde s anding o women as ‗ he weake sex‘ and a
ein o cemen o he dicho omies masculini y- eminini y / s eng h-weakness ha
pe ade he cul u al imagina ion o his ic ional own.
Ne e heless, and his is he key issue, he cha ac e o Molly a he same
ime cons i u es he no el‘s mos impo an ool o challenge and sub e he