This study undertook a poststructuralist feminist analysis of femininity and power relations in Iris Murdoch’s The Flight from the Enchanter through the lens of Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity. By exploring how the novel's characters navigate and resist traditional gender roles, the research revealed the fluidity and constructed nature of femininity. Central to this analysis was the interrogation of power dynamics that shape the characters’ identities and relationships, particularly focusing on the ways in which female characters either conform to or subvert societal expectations. The findings suggested that Murdoch’s depiction of femininity is not static but rather a site of ongoing negotiation and resistance. The novel portrays femininity as a performance that is both constrained by and resistant to patriarchal structures. Thus, through Butler’s framework, this study illuminated the ways in which power operates within gendered identities, revealing the subversive potential inherent in their performative nature. The study ultimately argued that The Flight from the Enchanter offers a powerful critique of patriarchal power structures and the ways in which they shape female subjectivity. By examining the characters' experiences and their struggles for liberation, the research demonstrated how the novel challenges traditional conceptions of femininity and power dynamics, ultimately suggesting the possibility for resisting and transforming these structures. T findings of this study carry implication for feminist literary criticism, offering a nuanced understanding of how gender and power intersect in Murdoch’s work. They also underscore the relevance of Butler’s theories in analyzing literary texts, providing new insights into the ways in which literature can challenge and reconfigure gender norms.
