Attempts on her Life: Subverting the Interpellative Gaze

This article examines Martin Crimp’s The Attempts on her Life through the lens of Judith Butler’s theories of gender performativity, interpellation, and linguistic performativity. Structured in a fragmented vignette, Crimp’s play explores the fate of an elusive female protagonist who escapes being pinned down with a certain name and role. The play interrogates themes such as media consumption, gender imbalance, violence, and exploitation. By applying Butler's selected key terms to the play, this article demonstrates how Crimp's experimental play critiques the construction of identity and the enforcement of sociocultural norms. The analysis further focuses on the moments where the major character – variously named Anne/Annie/Annoshka – performs the prescribed societal roles imposed upon her by her gender identity while simultaneously enacting disruptive, subversive acts that challenge the imposed constraints. Ultimately, this analysis investigates the strategies embedded within the play that destabilize the rigid identity categories, offering a pathway for liberation from the tyranny of oppressive structures through performative disruption.

Keywords:

Gender Performativity , Interpellation , Linguistic Performativity , Crimp , Butler