Performance Theory in Literature

Performance Theory: Term, Definition and Concept

Term:

Performance Theory is a multidisciplinary framework that examines human behavior, communication, and expression as performances in various social and cultural contexts. Rooted in fields such as anthropology, sociology, and theater studies, Performance Theory goes beyond traditional notions of “performance” in the arts to encompass everyday actions, rituals, and interactions. It emphasizes the idea that individuals and groups actively construct and communicate meaning through their actions, employing symbols, gestures, and rituals to convey cultural norms, identities, and power dynamics.

Key Concepts and Definitions:

• Performativity: The notion that certain actions not only convey meaning but also create or constitute the very social reality they express.
• Ritual and Ceremony: Examining how repetitive and symbolic actions contribute to the construction of shared meaning and identity within a community.
• Identity Performance: The idea that individuals “perform” their identities through various behaviors, language, and cultural practices.
• Goffman’s Dramaturgical Model: Drawing from Erving Goffman’s work, Performance Theory applies the metaphor of a theatrical performance to everyday social interactions, emphasizing the front stage (public) and back stage (private) aspects of human behavior.
• Embodiment: Recognizing the significance of the body in performance, highlighting how gestures, movements, and physical presence contribute to meaning-making.
• Cultural Scripts: Understanding how societies provide individuals with culturally specific scripts or norms that guide their performances in different contexts.
• Power Dynamics: Analyzing how performances can reinforce or challenge power structures within society, as individuals and groups negotiate authority and influence through their actions.
• Cultural Performance: Exploring how cultures express and sustain their values, beliefs, and social structures through performances, including rituals, ceremonies, and artistic expressions.
• Liminality: Borrowed from Victor Turner’s work, this concept refers to transitional or in-between phases during which individuals or groups temporarily step outside established norms, often marked by heightened symbolism and transformation.
• Agency and Resistance: Recognizing that performances can be both a tool of conformity and a means of resistance, allowing individuals to challenge social norms and assert agency.

Performance Theory offers a versatile lens through which scholars analyze various aspects of human interaction and cultural expression, emphasizing the active role individuals play in shaping and interpreting the social world.

Performance Theory: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Theorists:

1. Erving Goffman (1922–1982): Goffman, a Canadian sociologist, made significant contributions to Performance Theory through his work, particularly in his book “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” (1959). He introduced the dramaturgical model, portraying social interactions as akin to theatrical performances.
2. Victor Turner (1920–1983): An anthropologist, Turner’s concepts, such as “liminality” and “communitas,” greatly influenced Performance Theory. His studies on rituals and rites of passage provided insights into the transformative aspects of performances.
3. Judith Butler (b. 1956): Butler, a philosopher and gender theorist, expanded Performance Theory with her notion of “performativity” in the book “Gender Trouble” (1990). She argued that gender identity is not inherent but rather constructed through repeated performances.
4. Richard Schechner (b. 1934): An American performance studies scholar, Schechner has written extensively on Performance Theory. His work, “Performance Theory” (1988), explores the intersections of anthropology, theater, and everyday life in performance studies.
5. Dwight Conquergood (1949–2004): A key figure in the field of performance studies, Conquergood contributed to the ethnographic approach in Performance Theory. His work often focused on the relationship between performance, social justice, and cultural understanding.

Major Works:

1. “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” (1959) by Erving Goffman: Goffman’s seminal work introduced the dramaturgical perspective, portraying social life as a series of performances where individuals actively manage impressions.
2. “The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure” (1969) by Victor Turner: Turner’s influential book delves into the anthropological study of rituals and introduces concepts like “liminality” and “communitas,” which have become integral to Performance Theory.
3. “Gender Trouble” (1990) by Judith Butler: Butler’s groundbreaking work challenges traditional views of gender by introducing the concept of performativity, arguing that gender identity is constructed through repeated performances of cultural norms.
4. “Performance Theory” (1988) by Richard Schechner: Schechner’s comprehensive work provides an overview of key concepts in Performance Theory, exploring the intersections of performance in various cultural and social contexts.
5. “Performing Ethnography” (2002) by Dwight Conquergood: Conquergood’s collection of essays emphasizes the application of performance studies to ethnography, emphasizing the embodied and participatory aspects of research.

Key Arguments:

1. Interaction as Performance: Goffman argued that social interactions can be understood as performances, where individuals actively present themselves to others.
2. Liminality and Transformation: Turner’s concept of liminality highlights the transformative and often ritualistic aspects of performances, particularly in rites of passage.
3. Performativity of Gender: Butler’s argument revolves around the performative nature of gender identity, challenging the idea of fixed gender roles and emphasizing the role of repeated actions in constructing gender.
4. Embodiment in Performance: Scholars in Performance Theory stress the importance of the body and its movements, gestures, and expressions in conveying meaning during performances.
5. Ethnographic Approach: Conquergood advocated for an ethnographic approach within Performance Theory, emphasizing the immersive study of performances in their cultural and social contexts.

Performance Theory: Key Principles

Key Principle	Literary Examples
Interaction as Performance	In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, characters engage in social performances at lavish parties, concealing personal realities behind carefully crafted personas.
Liminality and Transformation	In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the island setting becomes a liminal space where the boys undergo a transformation, challenging societal norms and descending into chaos.
Performativity of Gender	Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night features gender role performativity, with Viola adopting a male disguise, complicating notions of identity and challenging traditional gender expectations.
Embodiment in Performance	In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, the character of Sethe embodies the trauma of slavery through her physical and emotional expressions, making her experiences central to the narrative.
Ethnographic Approach	Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God ethnographically explores the performances of identity within the African American community, capturing cultural practices and rituals.

These literary examples illustrate how Performance Theory principles manifest in diverse ways within the context of literature. Characters’ actions, rituals, and transformations reflect the theory’s emphasis on the performative nature of human behavior and identity construction.

Performance Theory: Application in Critiques

Applying Performance Theory to critique literary works involves several steps that analyze how characters, plot elements, and themes align with or diverge from key principles of the theory. Here’s a step-by-step guide along with an example:

1. Identify Performative Elements:
   • Examine characters’ actions, behaviors, and interactions within the narrative.
   • Look for instances where characters consciously present themselves or engage in symbolic acts.
2. Analyze Rituals and Transformations:
   • Identify any rituals or transformative events within the story.
   • Explore how these rituals contribute to the construction of identity or mark significant changes in the characters.
3. Evaluate Gender Performativity:
   • Examine how characters perform their gender roles.
   • Consider instances where characters challenge or conform to traditional gender expectations.
4. Explore Embodiment in Narratives:
   • Analyze how the body is represented and used as a tool for conveying meaning.
   • Consider characters’ physical expressions, gestures, and sensory experiences.
5. Apply an Ethnographic Lens:
   • Consider the cultural and social context within the literary work.
   • Examine how cultural practices, rituals, or performances contribute to the overall narrative.

Example: Applying Performance Theory to “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood:

1. Identify Performative Elements:
   • The protagonist, Offred, engages in performative acts as she navigates the strict social hierarchy in Gilead. Her actions, expressions, and even her internal monologue serve as performances, carefully crafted to navigate the oppressive society.
2. Analyze Rituals and Transformations:
   • Rituals such as the monthly ceremony and the Handmaid training process highlight the performative nature of gender roles. Offred’s transformation from a rebellious woman to a compliant Handmaid illustrates the transformative power of societal rituals.
3. Evaluate Gender Performativity:
   • The entire society in “The Handmaid’s Tale” is structured around strict gender roles. Offred and other characters constantly perform their assigned gender roles, reinforcing the oppressive regime’s ideology.
4. Explore Embodiment in Narratives:
   • Offred’s embodiment, particularly her bodily experiences during the ceremony, reflects the physicality of her oppression. The emphasis on the body as a site of control aligns with the principles of Performance Theory.
5. Apply an Ethnographic Lens:
   • The novel serves as an ethnographic exploration of Gilead’s culture, revealing the performative nature of societal norms and rituals. The examination of ceremonies and cultural practices adds depth to the critique of the dystopian society.

By systematically applying Performance Theory to literary works, critics can uncover layers of meaning and critique the ways in which characters perform their identities within complex social and cultural contexts.

Performance Theory: Criticism Against It

1. Overemphasis on Social Construction: Critics argue that Performance Theory tends to overemphasize the role of social construction in shaping identity and behavior. This perspective may downplay the influence of individual agency, personal experiences, and biological factors in shaping human actions.
2. Lack of Clear Definitions: Some critics contend that the key concepts within Performance Theory, such as “performance” and “performativity,” lack clear and universally agreed-upon definitions. The ambiguity of these terms can lead to interpretive challenges and limit the theory’s precision.
3. Neglect of Structural Factors: Critics argue that Performance Theory often neglects the impact of structural factors such as economic, political, and institutional forces on individual and collective behavior. Focusing solely on performances may overlook broader systemic influences that shape social dynamics.
4. Tendency for Determinism: Some critics express concerns about determinism within Performance Theory, suggesting that it may oversimplify complex social interactions by attributing them solely to performative acts. This oversimplification may neglect the intricate interplay of various factors influencing behavior.
5. Limited Attention to Emotional Aspects: Performance Theory is criticized for not adequately addressing the emotional dimensions of human experience. Critics argue that a focus on performativity may overlook the profound emotional and subjective aspects of identity formation and interpersonal interactions.

Performance Theory: Terms Used in It

Term	Definition
Performativity	The concept that certain actions not only express meaning but also create or constitute social reality.
Ritual and Ceremony	Symbolic and repetitive actions contributing to the construction of shared meaning and identity.
Identity Performance	The idea that individuals actively “perform” their identities through behaviors, language, and practices.
Goffman’s Dramaturgy	Erving Goffman’s metaphor of social interactions as theatrical performances, distinguishing front and back stages.
Embodiment	The significance of the body in performance, emphasizing gestures, movements, and physical presence.
Cultural Scripts	Societal norms and expectations providing individuals with culturally specific scripts for their performances.
Power Dynamics	Examination of how performances can reinforce or challenge power structures within society.
Cultural Performance	Expressions and rituals through which cultures convey and sustain values, beliefs, and social structures.
Liminality	Victor Turner’s concept highlighting transitional phases where individuals or groups temporarily step outside established norms.
Agency and Resistance	Recognition that performances can serve as both tools of conformity and means of resistance.

Performance Theory: Suggested Readings

1. Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge, 1990.
2. Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday, 1959.
3. Schechner, Richard. Performance Theory. Routledge, 1988.
4. Turner, Victor. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Aldine, 1969.
5. Conquergood, Dwight. Performance Studies: Interventions and Radical Research. Palgrave Macmillan, 1991.
6. Auslander, Philip. Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture. Routledge, 1999.
7. Phelan, Peggy. Unmarked: The Politics of Performance. Routledge, 1993.
8. Taylor, Diana. The Archive and the Repertoire: Performing Cultural Memory in the Americas. Duke University Press, 2003.
9. Fischer-Lichte, Erika. The Transformative Power of Performance: A New Aesthetics. Routledge, 2008.
10. Roach, Joseph. Cities of the Dead: Circum-Atlantic Performance. Columbia University Press, 1996.