Biopower, Gender Performativity, and Mental Health: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Female Subjectification in The Bell Jar, All That I Want to Forget, and Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982

Abstract

While feminist literature and criticism have significantly promoted women's empowerment globally, applying critical theories has predominantly centered on Western discourse. This research expands the analytical scope by examining Michel Foucault's (1926-1984) theory of institutionalized biopower and Judith Butler's (1956) theory of performativity across diverse cultural contexts through a comparative analysis of three feminist novels: Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar (1963), Bothayna Al-Essa is All That I Want to Forget (2014), and Cho Nam-Joo's Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 (2016). This cross-cultural examination illuminates how institutionalized bodies create interconnected surveillance and control systems, establishing a panoptic society that transcends Western boundaries. The analysis reveals distinct manifestations of disciplinary power across 1950s American, early 2000s Kuwaiti, and contemporary Korean societies, shaped respectively by post-war modern mentality, conservative Islamic values, and Confucian traditions. The research demonstrates how the internalization of feminine performance as identity leads to the medicalization of non-conforming behavior through biopower mechanisms. This manifestation is evidenced through the protagonists' experiences: Esther's institutionalization and shock therapy, Fatima's forced medication by her husband, and Jiyoung's psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. These instances exemplify how biopower represents a primary mechanism in enforcing disciplinary control and maintaining socially constructed performances. The theoretical framework integrates Foucault's emphasis on ontology and metaphysics with Butler's psychoanalytical approach to gender roles, providing comprehensive insight into how disciplinary social norms become entrenched within societies. This integration reveals how institutional power structures shape individual self-identification through educational, medical, and domestic institutions. The study contributes to understanding how disciplinary power and gender performativity operate across cultural contexts. It demonstrates that, while culturally specific, mechanisms of control share fundamental patterns in their implementation and effects on women's lived experiences. The analysis illuminates the universal applicability of these theoretical frameworks and highlights the importance of examining their diverse manifestations across cultural boundaries.