Identity Construction In Robert A. Heinlein's All You Zombies

Words: 1217
Pages: 5

It needs to be reckoned that the there is a difference between the sex of a person and the gender identity. In a society that is largely patriarchal in nature, the societal institutions come to impose the gender on the individual based on the sexual identity that the person is born with. However, this process of gender construction is not a natural phenomenon and can be described to be rather an imposition as per the parameters of patriarchy and its norms. As one goes through the story, All You Zombies, written by Robert A. Heinlein, one finds the exploration of the complicated issues related to the notion of sexual identity and gender identity through the portrayal of the various characters. The confrontation of the various identities is possible as the stalwart author incorporates the surmounting effect of time travel to show how identities are formed and deconstructed in the course of time with various external influences. The story explores the issues of identity construction along with the differences of gender and sexuality. As such, one gets to explore the issues of identity and …show more content…
The main character in context is truly affected all through life due to the transforming sense of gender and sexual identity. The time travel and the paradox lead to this complicacy in the life of the protagonist. This literary work is a fine example of the power of creativity and imagination on the part of a creative artist to explore the inner thoughts, notions, and emotions of an individual. It is due to the central thematic content of the work that the story attains universal appeal and literary charm. The many characters portrayed throughout the story come across to be the same person by the end of the