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The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer

This study aims to examine the identity of female cyborg in William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984) based on Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto. In Neuromancer the main character, Molly Million does not fit in the stereotypical female characteristics. When a male is the protagonist, females will be seen...

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Main Authors: Yap, Geraldine Chee Hui, Babaee, Ruzbeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Australian International Academic Centre, Australia 2015
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/46599/1/The%20identity%20of%20female%20cyborg%20in%20William%20Gibsons%20Neuromancer.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/46599/
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spelling my.upm.eprints.465992018-02-26T01:16:19Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/46599/ The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer Yap, Geraldine Chee Hui Babaee, Ruzbeh This study aims to examine the identity of female cyborg in William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984) based on Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto. In Neuromancer the main character, Molly Million does not fit in the stereotypical female characteristics. When a male is the protagonist, females will be seen as a feminine stereotype and being depicted as helpless and weak. She is in fact the reversal of feminine stereotype. Henry Dorsett Case, the male protagonist of the story, was given a job opportunity and being partnered up with Molly to fulfil their mission. When Molly and Case are together, Case is always on the safe side while Molly aggressively moves around getting her things done. Being a cyborg is to be fierce, fast and bold just like Molly and being a goddess will be a typical female. It is a metaphor used to conceptualize socialist feminism in the modern society. The boundary breakdown between organism and machine portrays the boundary breakdown between Molly and Wintermute, an Artificial Intelligence (AI), because Molly and Wintermute are representatives of organism and machine, respectively. When Molly and Wintermute could put up with each other, it indirectly shows the connection between human and technology that can then be brought to another level as dualism of mind and body that are considered as one in the cybernetic world just like how high technology and scientific culture are interrelated. Mind which symbolizes Artificial Intelligence is the ultimate power which controls the body. The technological enhancements in Molly are the symbolised power which gives her the difference in stereotypical female role. Australian International Academic Centre, Australia 2015-04 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/46599/1/The%20identity%20of%20female%20cyborg%20in%20William%20Gibsons%20Neuromancer.pdf Yap, Geraldine Chee Hui and Babaee, Ruzbeh (2015) The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer. International Journal of Comparative Literature & Translation Studies, 3 (2). pp. 62-65. ISSN 2202-9451 10.7575/aiac.ijclts.v.3n.2p.62
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
building UPM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Putra Malaysia
content_source UPM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://psasir.upm.edu.my/
language English
description This study aims to examine the identity of female cyborg in William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984) based on Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto. In Neuromancer the main character, Molly Million does not fit in the stereotypical female characteristics. When a male is the protagonist, females will be seen as a feminine stereotype and being depicted as helpless and weak. She is in fact the reversal of feminine stereotype. Henry Dorsett Case, the male protagonist of the story, was given a job opportunity and being partnered up with Molly to fulfil their mission. When Molly and Case are together, Case is always on the safe side while Molly aggressively moves around getting her things done. Being a cyborg is to be fierce, fast and bold just like Molly and being a goddess will be a typical female. It is a metaphor used to conceptualize socialist feminism in the modern society. The boundary breakdown between organism and machine portrays the boundary breakdown between Molly and Wintermute, an Artificial Intelligence (AI), because Molly and Wintermute are representatives of organism and machine, respectively. When Molly and Wintermute could put up with each other, it indirectly shows the connection between human and technology that can then be brought to another level as dualism of mind and body that are considered as one in the cybernetic world just like how high technology and scientific culture are interrelated. Mind which symbolizes Artificial Intelligence is the ultimate power which controls the body. The technological enhancements in Molly are the symbolised power which gives her the difference in stereotypical female role.
format Article
author Yap, Geraldine Chee Hui
Babaee, Ruzbeh
spellingShingle Yap, Geraldine Chee Hui
Babaee, Ruzbeh
The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer
author_facet Yap, Geraldine Chee Hui
Babaee, Ruzbeh
author_sort Yap, Geraldine Chee Hui
title The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer
title_short The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer
title_full The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer
title_fullStr The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer
title_full_unstemmed The identity of female cyborg in William Gibsons Neuromancer
title_sort identity of female cyborg in william gibsons neuromancer
publisher Australian International Academic Centre, Australia
publishDate 2015
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/46599/1/The%20identity%20of%20female%20cyborg%20in%20William%20Gibsons%20Neuromancer.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/46599/
_version_ 1643833796250828800
score 13.211869

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