This essay examines the limitations of societal gender norms and expectations of the late nineteenth-century and how the fictional character Ántonia Shimerda adheres to and fails to conform to them. In nineteenth-century America men and women were divided into two different spheres. Women were expected to stay within the four walls of the home and take care of cooking, housekeeping and raising the family’s children. The home was believed to be the only place where a woman could be truly happy. However, in the novel Ántonia proves that women can be happy performing physically demanding tasks outside of the expected sphere for women. To explore Ántonia’s gender fluidity this essay focuses on gender expectations and norms in the historical setting of the novel and analyzes the reasons for her to abandon her gender and the consequences this has in her life. The representation of a character that both adheres to and fails to conform to the nineteenth-century gender perceptions indicates the performative nature of gender. Cather creates a fluid gender in Ántonia, who proves to be both an independent and strong character that clearly illustrates the limitations of rigid gender norms.

This essay aims to study if, and how, The Matrix (1999) can be read with a queer perspective and how to use it in a classroom setting to further upper secondary school students to discuss transgender issues and develop their own identity. By analysing the film using a hermeneutic method and a queer perspective the results show that much of the lines, cinematography and costume can be viewed as an expression for transgender and queer. The theoretical framework is mainly related to Judith Butler’s research on doing gender and Malin Alkestrand’s concept of didactic potential. The essay shows the didactic potential of the Matrix (1999) and gives concrete examples of lines, cinematography and costume that can be used to begin conversations in the classroom related to gender, sexuality, norms, and performative gender.