agency from which various acts proceed ; rather , it is an identity tenuously constituted in time . 73
Butler cites Simone de Beauvoir ’ s claim that gender is constructed and developed rather than something we are born into which is represented in Rosaleen ’ s actions in an attempt to mirror her older sister through the application of makeup . Butler expands by explaining that gender is constructed through ‘ stylized repetition of acts ’ 74 which is represented in the repetitive red imagery such as the red cloak , the red lipstick , the red roses , the items themselves are associated with women , but it is also the choice of colour that makes these items ‘ stylized ’ 75 . The manifest of the red imagery symbolising menstruation demonstrates Rosaleen ’ s anxieties on wanting to grow up . Rosaleen ’ s dreams allow for a commentary on subjects in society that are otherwise taboo such as menstruating . Keith Hopper explores the critiques of the film ’ s ‘ obvious ’ sub-plots through the use of storytelling within the dream . Hopper defends Carter and Neil ’ s work , suggesting that the criticism that the symbols are too evident is too simplistic , stating : this particular critique […] fails to acknowledge the psychological complexity and mythopoeic potential of Jordan ’ s febrile mise-en-scène . The visual depiction of the menstrual motif – however “ overelaborate ” it may be – is still a reminder that menstruation remains a taboo topic in popular culture , not at least in the cinema . 76
Hopper ’ s recognition of the ‘ overelaborate ’ menstruating motif allows for a better understanding as to why Carter and Neil made a decision that is ‘ obvious ’ to critics . The symbolism of the red cloak and roses serves the purpose of bringing menstruation to the forefront of the conversation , making what is a taboo , not only in cinema but in popular culture too , something that does not allow itself to go unmissed . Therefore , the use of illusion in the dream world , allows for taboos to be explored , with Rosaleen ’ s anxieties regarding periods being representative of the anxieties of a wider audience . Although Rosaleen ’ s actions in the world of illusion have no physical consequences in reality , the depiction of the latent in Rosaleen ’ s
73
Judith Butler , ‘ Performative Acts and Gender Constitution : An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory ’ Theatre Journal vol . 40 , no . 4 ( Baltimore : The Johns Hopkins University Press , 1988 ), 519 .
74 ibid .
75 ibid .
76
Hopper , ‘ Hairy on the Inside ’, 22 .