Be your true mind- P4 character gender essay, Naoto
This is like a YEAR+ old, but I never put it online and I guess there's not a lot of P4 analysis stuff, so have a character essay on drag and Persona 4 that I wrote for a queer studies class. That being said, yeah it's a bit academic and required some citing ^^;.
I'd say the things I'd want to change the most are just the comments about how drag is represented being just due to make sensationalism. I kind of doubt that, it's a not entirely uncommon theme in Japanese fiction, and I suspect that much of the stepping around addressing a character's gender identity is cultural, as well as (the probably male) writers being blind to how things came off. I just had to bring up the sensationalism thing to tie my theme together.
I love Naoto to death and she's my favorite of P4, and I honestly think its great that characters like her even exist in games (which is why I love SMT), but it wasn't perfect, and some of the implications... well.... that's what the essay gets into.
"Be Your True Mind" (As it Suits Them)
As mentioned by Judith Lorber, in two sex societies, drag is enacted posing as the sex you physically are not by using "necessary gender markers" and following the "known gender script" (55). When it is found that someone has been doing this secretly, it often generates a certain amount of shock or at least interest, as the concept itself calls into question essentialised gender (Lorber, 56). It comes as no surprise that a role playing ("RPG") video game series known for its dealing with controversial issues, would explore this in 'Persona 4.' However, in the development of the female character passing-as-male, Naoto, what could have been a gender radical discourse, ends up a shallow and normalizing message. Through her social interaction, her reasons for posing male, and the reactions of the other characters when they find out, Naoto is only made a symbol of female gender confusion and weakness rather than subverting any boundaries.
Lorber talks at length about gender and how one is born into the training of it. Being taught gendered personalities, "boy and girl" traits, what one is supposed to succeed or fail at, or how they are meant to feel about them (62). Even when a transgendered female changes her body to physically become male, she cannot negate the psychology of woman imprinted from her upbringing (61). Naoto is no exception in the way she interacts with the other characters when posed as a male. She is generally rather submissive and shy in her interactions, mainly keeping herself at a distance, trying to prove her strength and generally shown failing at it alone. Avoiding potential complications that would come with romantic attraction in Naoto's situation, she is also portrayed as primarily asexual. All of this is generally alluded to be related to Naoto's androgyny as the reason for her inability to socialize normally, and as something of a character flaw. This is further enforced by her later making her first friends with the main characters, but only after they know her "true self." The normalizing message inferred by this seeming to be that one cannot be properly socially adjusted as long the gender divide is not honored, to defy the sex/gender one is cultured into from birth must inevitably lead to discontent.
While Naoto performs maleness convincingly for a portion of the game, after a point it is revealed that she is "really female." In a gender subversive fashion, she shows herself in the time preceding this as talented in 'male things', such as reasoning and problem solving in her occupation as a detective. The primary reason given for her passing as a male is feeling that she was required to in a man's world, "but", said as a underdeveloped afterthought: she sees herself as more of a man than woman. Naoto goes on to explain that growing up she had always identified with fictional male detectives and did not see a place for her "personal ideal" with her as a woman and the depths of frustration this caused her. Following this exposition she continues to dress in drag, leaving unresolved issues about her self image: does she believe that without taking on "male qualities" she would not be a capable detective? Lacking further exploration, it seems to encourage gendering of behaviors for Naoto to not accept her abilities without posing as a man, reinforcing the stereotypes of maleness being associated with logic and rationality, undoing any of the subversive potential to be found in her talents.
Perhaps the most problematic aspect of how Persona 4 deals with Naoto's gender bending is the reaction of the main cast, or rather, Naoto's lack of concern with it. Upon discovering Naoto's "true gender", the main cast proceeds to treat her definitively female, more fragile, and referring to her as "Missy" at any given occasion. Naoto is never seen protesting this, in apparent contradiction with how she describes herself, and passing as a male in public for much of her life, even when the other characters spread the word that she is "really a girl", something that was explained to have even jeopardized her position as a detective in the past. The messages given by this are implicit, as the game never addresses the mixed messages about Naoto's gender outright. By her lack of turmoil over this change in treatment, the narrative seems to want to enforce her biological sex as more significant than how she portrays herself. Through this inference, Naoto does not "erode, but rather preserve gender boundaries": she is only "transitorily ambiguous", "really a woman underneath" (Lorber, 57). Her aberrance as a man is marked as something temporary, perhaps even childish in its associations with the aforementioned fiction, an exploration she is meant to grow out of.
Though drag is a complex act, and can have multiple meanings to individuals, in the context of mainstream male-driven constructs it seems to need to be simplified as a necessity or temporary. While claiming progressiveness for including a character such as Naoto, the subtext of the game tells a very different story. Lacking outright exploration, her gender roles are virtually exploited for the sake of diversity, or shock value, brought down to a level of entertainment or strangeness. Naoto's social life is shown as stunted due to this, the remedy seeming to be 'ending her deceit', making her "masquerade" as a man far from legitimate. The reasons given for her posing as a male further this association, as they are mainly based around her childhood identity in such a way as it is her clinging to a misconception from her youth, or worse self-misogynistic, unable to see herself as competent if not male. By the other characters in the closest approximation to dealing with Naoto's biological sex and gender, her self concept is ignored entirely, and she is accepted most primarily as female. It seems while the subheading of Persona games may be "be your true mind", when it comes to gender, this is only allowed to the point of what is palatable and non-threatening to the normative male audiences.
Persona 4. Atlus, 2008.
Lorber, Judith. "Night to his Day- The Social Construction of Gender." Cal State Northridge. University Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2009.
I'd say the things I'd want to change the most are just the comments about how drag is represented being just due to make sensationalism. I kind of doubt that, it's a not entirely uncommon theme in Japanese fiction, and I suspect that much of the stepping around addressing a character's gender identity is cultural, as well as (the probably male) writers being blind to how things came off. I just had to bring up the sensationalism thing to tie my theme together.
I love Naoto to death and she's my favorite of P4, and I honestly think its great that characters like her even exist in games (which is why I love SMT), but it wasn't perfect, and some of the implications... well.... that's what the essay gets into.
"Be Your True Mind" (As it Suits Them)
As mentioned by Judith Lorber, in two sex societies, drag is enacted posing as the sex you physically are not by using "necessary gender markers" and following the "known gender script" (55). When it is found that someone has been doing this secretly, it often generates a certain amount of shock or at least interest, as the concept itself calls into question essentialised gender (Lorber, 56). It comes as no surprise that a role playing ("RPG") video game series known for its dealing with controversial issues, would explore this in 'Persona 4.' However, in the development of the female character passing-as-male, Naoto, what could have been a gender radical discourse, ends up a shallow and normalizing message. Through her social interaction, her reasons for posing male, and the reactions of the other characters when they find out, Naoto is only made a symbol of female gender confusion and weakness rather than subverting any boundaries.
Lorber talks at length about gender and how one is born into the training of it. Being taught gendered personalities, "boy and girl" traits, what one is supposed to succeed or fail at, or how they are meant to feel about them (62). Even when a transgendered female changes her body to physically become male, she cannot negate the psychology of woman imprinted from her upbringing (61). Naoto is no exception in the way she interacts with the other characters when posed as a male. She is generally rather submissive and shy in her interactions, mainly keeping herself at a distance, trying to prove her strength and generally shown failing at it alone. Avoiding potential complications that would come with romantic attraction in Naoto's situation, she is also portrayed as primarily asexual. All of this is generally alluded to be related to Naoto's androgyny as the reason for her inability to socialize normally, and as something of a character flaw. This is further enforced by her later making her first friends with the main characters, but only after they know her "true self." The normalizing message inferred by this seeming to be that one cannot be properly socially adjusted as long the gender divide is not honored, to defy the sex/gender one is cultured into from birth must inevitably lead to discontent.
While Naoto performs maleness convincingly for a portion of the game, after a point it is revealed that she is "really female." In a gender subversive fashion, she shows herself in the time preceding this as talented in 'male things', such as reasoning and problem solving in her occupation as a detective. The primary reason given for her passing as a male is feeling that she was required to in a man's world, "but", said as a underdeveloped afterthought: she sees herself as more of a man than woman. Naoto goes on to explain that growing up she had always identified with fictional male detectives and did not see a place for her "personal ideal" with her as a woman and the depths of frustration this caused her. Following this exposition she continues to dress in drag, leaving unresolved issues about her self image: does she believe that without taking on "male qualities" she would not be a capable detective? Lacking further exploration, it seems to encourage gendering of behaviors for Naoto to not accept her abilities without posing as a man, reinforcing the stereotypes of maleness being associated with logic and rationality, undoing any of the subversive potential to be found in her talents.
Perhaps the most problematic aspect of how Persona 4 deals with Naoto's gender bending is the reaction of the main cast, or rather, Naoto's lack of concern with it. Upon discovering Naoto's "true gender", the main cast proceeds to treat her definitively female, more fragile, and referring to her as "Missy" at any given occasion. Naoto is never seen protesting this, in apparent contradiction with how she describes herself, and passing as a male in public for much of her life, even when the other characters spread the word that she is "really a girl", something that was explained to have even jeopardized her position as a detective in the past. The messages given by this are implicit, as the game never addresses the mixed messages about Naoto's gender outright. By her lack of turmoil over this change in treatment, the narrative seems to want to enforce her biological sex as more significant than how she portrays herself. Through this inference, Naoto does not "erode, but rather preserve gender boundaries": she is only "transitorily ambiguous", "really a woman underneath" (Lorber, 57). Her aberrance as a man is marked as something temporary, perhaps even childish in its associations with the aforementioned fiction, an exploration she is meant to grow out of.
Though drag is a complex act, and can have multiple meanings to individuals, in the context of mainstream male-driven constructs it seems to need to be simplified as a necessity or temporary. While claiming progressiveness for including a character such as Naoto, the subtext of the game tells a very different story. Lacking outright exploration, her gender roles are virtually exploited for the sake of diversity, or shock value, brought down to a level of entertainment or strangeness. Naoto's social life is shown as stunted due to this, the remedy seeming to be 'ending her deceit', making her "masquerade" as a man far from legitimate. The reasons given for her posing as a male further this association, as they are mainly based around her childhood identity in such a way as it is her clinging to a misconception from her youth, or worse self-misogynistic, unable to see herself as competent if not male. By the other characters in the closest approximation to dealing with Naoto's biological sex and gender, her self concept is ignored entirely, and she is accepted most primarily as female. It seems while the subheading of Persona games may be "be your true mind", when it comes to gender, this is only allowed to the point of what is palatable and non-threatening to the normative male audiences.
Persona 4. Atlus, 2008.
Lorber, Judith. "Night to his Day- The Social Construction of Gender." Cal State Northridge. University Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2009.