Power Struggles between Men: Fops, Mollies and Masculinity

Di-Feng Chueh

花美男 ； 娘質男 ； 陰柔氣質 ； 陽剛氣質 ； fop ； molly ； effeminacy ； masculinity

中山人文學報

34期（2013 / 01 / 01）

21 - 39

英文

本文旨在研究兩本十八世紀英國劇本中花美男（fop）以及娘質男（molly）的男性氣概（masculinity）是以何種方式呈現。花美男以及娘質男的男性氣概都有著強烈陰柔氣質（effeminacy）的特性。而這樣的陰柔氣質在此兩類男性角色身上所呈現出來的方式有所不同。這樣呈現方式的差異是本文所要探討的首要重點。本文的第二個重點在分析如果陰柔男性特質被認為是可鄙的，在這兩劇本中這類型男性角色存在的必要性為何。陰柔男性角色在這兩劇本中有兩大重要性。第一、他們的存在點出了這兩本劇本中男性角色的多樣性（variety）。除了傳統的陽剛男性角色之外，讀者還可以看到有陰柔類型的男性角色。第二、透過斥責或是懲罰陰柔男性角色的方式，這兩劇本中傳統陽剛男性角色同時捍衛了異性戀的規訓價值。

The aim of this paper is to examine how two types of male characters, ”fop” and ”molly,” are characterised in two eighteenth-century plays: Thomas Baker's ”Tunbridge-Walks”; or ”The Yeoman of Kent” and David Garrick's ”Miss in Her Teens”; or ”The Medley of Lovers”. As I will argue, portrayals of fops and mollies in the two plays are associated with the idea of effeminacy. However, fops' and mollies' associations with effeminacy are different. As well as indicating how differently fops and mollies are effeminate in their behavior, I also intend to understand the necessity of representing the two types of male characters in such a way in relation to the formation of identities of their rather masculine counterparts in the two plays. As I will conclude, by deriding or punishing these two types of effeminate male characters, conventionally masculine can construct their identities and certify the value of heternormativity. Second, Baker and Garrick point out the variety within the discourse of masculinity, for portrayals of male characters are not fixed to one possibility by including fops and mollies in their respective plays.

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