The Problem of Parenthood as a Constructed Role in Mark Ravenhill’s Handbag (1998)

Zehra Aydın Koçak

Makale detayları

The Problem of Parenthood as a Constructed Role in Mark Ravenhill’s Handbag (1998)

Yazarlar:

Zehra Aydın Koçak

Yayıncı:

Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.985-997

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357374

pISSN:

2548-0502

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Mark Ravenhills Handbag 1998 explores parenthood across two intersecting periods: the Victorian era and the contemporary era. The play presents a lesbian and a gay couple attempting to have a baby in the contemporary setting while juxtaposing their experiences with a Victorian family, whose rigid societal norms shape their parenthood roles and views. Through employing actors in double roles, Ravenhill draws parallels between past and present by focusing upon differences and continuities in societal expectations. Despite changing norms, the characters in both eras end up with performing dysfunctional parenthood roles. The play is examined through Judith Butlers the concept of gender, explaining how gender roles are social constructs and how individuals are oppressed to conform societal expectations. Ravenhill criticises the notion of family, describes how characters force themselves into predefined roles dictated by society, and finally reveals the complexities of family and identity through challenging conventional perceptions of parenthood and exposing the constraints imposed by cultural norms over time. In Victorian society, parental roles are shaped and dictated by the class divisions: the expectations of aristocratic and middle-class families are to fulfil their parenting responsibilities by employing nannies and to maintain a deliberate emotional and physical distance from the world of their children. Therefore, the societal norms and rules of the Victorian setting serve as the primary force in defining and shaping parenthood. On the contrary, Ravenhill deconstructs these traditional norms and reconstructs the family unit with two mothers and two fathers for a baby in the contemporary era. Although introducing alternative rules and expectations, the contemporary setting is not devoid of challenges. This study aims to illustrate how the fundamental struggles of starting a family persists across time even though it is possible to change the elements and the members of the family unit throughout Ravenhills play.

 Mark Ravenhills Handbag 1998 explores parenthood across two intersecting periods: the Victorian era and the contemporary era. The play presents a lesbian and a gay couple attempting to have a baby in the contemporary setting while juxtaposing their experiences with a Victorian family, whose rigid societal norms shape their parenthood roles and views. Through employing actors in double roles, Ravenhill draws parallels between past and present by focusing upon differences and continuities in societal expectations. Despite changing norms, the characters in both eras end up with performing dysfunctional parenthood roles. The play is examined through Judith Butlers the concept of gender, explaining how gender roles are social constructs and how individuals are oppressed to conform societal expectations. Ravenhill criticises the notion of family, describes how characters force themselves into predefined roles dictated by society, and finally reveals the complexities of family and identity through challenging conventional perceptions of parenthood and exposing the constraints imposed by cultural norms over time. In Victorian society, parental roles are shaped and dictated by the class divisions: the expectations of aristocratic and middle-class families are to fulfil their parenting responsibilities by employing nannies and to maintain a deliberate emotional and physical distance from the world of their children. Therefore, the societal norms and rules of the Victorian setting serve as the primary force in defining and shaping parenthood. On the contrary, Ravenhill deconstructs these traditional norms and reconstructs the family unit with two mothers and two fathers for a baby in the contemporary era. Although introducing alternative rules and expectations, the contemporary setting is not devoid of challenges. This study aims to illustrate how the fundamental struggles of starting a family persists across time even though it is possible to change the elements and the members of the family unit throughout Ravenhills play.

 Mark Ravenhills Handbag 1998 explores parenthood across two intersecting periods: the Victorian era and the contemporary era. The play presents a lesbian and a gay couple attempting to have a baby in the contemporary setting while juxtaposing their experiences with a Victorian family, whose rigid societal norms shape their parenthood roles and views. Through employing actors in double roles, Ravenhill draws parallels between past and present by focusing upon differences and continuities in societal expectations. Despite changing norms, the characters in both eras end up with performing dysfunctional parenthood roles. The play is examined through Judith Butlers the concept of gender, explaining how gender roles are social constructs and how individuals are oppressed to conform societal expectations. Ravenhill criticises the notion of family, describes how characters force themselves into predefined roles dictated by society, and finally reveals the complexities of family and identity through challenging conventional perceptions of parenthood and exposing the constraints imposed by cultural norms over time. In Victorian society, parental roles are shaped and dictated by the class divisions: the expectations of aristocratic and middle-class families are to fulfil their parenting responsibilities by employing nannies and to maintain a deliberate emotional and physical distance from the world of their children. Therefore, the societal norms and rules of the Victorian setting serve as the primary force in defining and shaping parenthood. On the contrary, Ravenhill deconstructs these traditional norms and reconstructs the family unit with two mothers and two fathers for a baby in the contemporary era. Although introducing alternative rules and expectations, the contemporary setting is not devoid of challenges. This study aims to illustrate how the fundamental struggles of starting a family persists across time even though it is possible to change the elements and the members of the family unit throughout Ravenhills play.

 Mark Ravenhillin Çanta 1998 oyunu, ebeveynlik olgusunu birbiri ile kesişen Viktoryen ve modern dönem olmak üzere iki farklı zamanda ele alır. Oyun, bir yandan çağdaş dönemde bir lezbiyen ve bir gey çiftin bebek sahibi olması çabasını konu alırken öte yandan da bu deneyimleri Viktorya dönemindeki bir aile ile karşılaştırmaktadır. Viktorya dönemi ailesinin ebeveynlik rolleri ve bu rollere bakış açısını oluşturan katı toplumsal normlar, modern dönemdeki çiftlerin deneyimleri ile yan yana sunulmaktadır. Oyundaki aktörleri çift rollerde oynatan Ravenhill, toplumsal beklentilerdeki değişimler ve sürekliliklere odaklanarak geçmiş ve günümüz arasındaki paralellikleri gözler önüne sermektedir. Değişen normlara rağmen, her iki dönemdeki karakterler de ebeveynlik rollerinin işlevsiz hale dönüşmesi gerçeğinden kaçamamaktadırlar. Cinsiyet rollerinin nasıl toplumsal olarak inşa edildiğini ve bireylerin toplumun beklentilerine uymak zorunda kaldığını gözler önüne seren oyun, Judith Butlerın toplumsal cinsiyet kavramı çerçevesinde ele alınmaktadır. Ravenhill, aile kavramını eleştirmekte, karakterlerin nasıl toplum tarafından dayatılan belirli rollere kendilerini hapsettiklerini tanımlamakta ve geleneksel ebeveynlik algılarını sorgulayarak kültürel normların zaman içerisinde dayattığı kısıtlamaları gün yüzüne çıkararak aile ve kimlik kavramlarının karmaşıklığını eleştirmektedir. Viktorya dönemi toplumunda ebeveyn rolleri, sınıf ayrımları tarafından şekillendirilir ve belirlenir: aristokrat ve orta sınıf ailelerin beklentisi, ebeveynlik sorumluluklarını dadılar aracılığıyla yerine getirmeleri ve çocuklarının dünyasından duygusal ve fiziksel olarak bilinçli bir mesafe ile uzak durmalarıdır. Bu nedenle, Viktorya dönemi toplumunun normları ve kuralları, ebeveynliğin tanımlanmasında ve şekillendirilmesinde başlıca güç olarak hizmet eder. Buna karşılık, yazar bu geleneksel normları yapıbozuma uğratarak çağdaş dönem kurgusunda bir bebek için iki anne ve iki babadan oluşan bir aile birimi yeniden inşa eder. Alternatif kurallar ve beklentiler sunmasına rağmen, çağdaş dönemdeki kurgusal alan zorluklardan yoksun değildir. Bu çalışma, Ravenhillin tüm oyunu boyunca aile unsurlarının ve üyelerinin değişmesinin mümkün olmasına rağmen bir aile kurmanın temel mücadelelerinin zaman içinde nasıl sürdüğünü göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Makale detayları

The Problem of Parenthood as a Constructed Role in Mark Ravenhill’s Handbag (1998)

Yazarlar:

Zehra Aydın Koçak

Yayıncı:

Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.985-997

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357374

pISSN:

2548-0502

Handbag

parenthood

gender

Victorian era

familyÇanta

ebeveynlik

cinsiyet

Viktoryen dönem

aile

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Zehra Aydın Koçak

Yayıncı: Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar: Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi: Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.985-997

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 8/2025

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001357374

pISSN: 2548-0502

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Zehra Aydın Koçak

Yayıncı:

Yusuf ÇETİN

Ana Başlıklar:

Edebi Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Dergi:

Söylem Filoloji Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 2, pp.985-997

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357374

pISSN:

2548-0502