I am The Wife: A Representation Study of Queer Relationship in Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Abstract

This study highlights on the representation of queer relationship of Evelyn and Celia in a novel written by Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which take a setting of 1950s Hollywood era. Using Hall’s theory of Representation through Foucault’s discursive approach method, this qualitative research aims to break down the layers of complexity in a queer relationship that happened between the two female main characters. It is also aimed to answer the critical position of Reid as an author in regards to queer relationship by examining her biography and answers on several online interviews. Queer itself is defined as an umbrella term used for indetifying non heterosexual or non-cisgender individuals. Theoretically, queer emerges from a socially constructed binarization that defines individual based on only two types of each category (sex, gender, sexuality) which creates a consequences of denying the presence of other individuals who do not fall into either of them (Valocchi, 2005). Historically, the term queer begins to be used after 1990s to accommodate an inclusive indentity for everyone who identify themselves outside of heterosexual or cisgender (Notaro, 2017). Applying Butler’s Gender Trouble, it can be found that the complexity of the queer relationship of Evelyn and Celia mainly caused by the heteronormative realm that denied their existence and relationship as queer women, a trouble of accepting their identity as bisexual and lesbian women who fall in love. Hence, Evelyn tried to maintain their relationship by conforming to the societal expectation towards a straight relationship, such as sending letters to Celia using the name of Edward, marrying a man whose in love with Celia’s husband in return for Evelyn and Celia’s relationship, and others.