Womanliness as a Masquerade

Abstract

This text is the first Polish translation of Joan Riviere’s renowned article Womanliness as a Masquerade, first published in 1929 in The International Journal of Psychoanalysis. The title of the work refers to the dreams of a patient whose story Riviere recounts in the article. In her dreams, figures appear wearing masks to avoid disaster and harm. The titular “womanliness,” according to Riviere, is akin to such a mask—adopted to conceal masculinity and prevent retribution should its presence be revealed. Riviere posits that women desiring masculinity might don a “mask of womanliness” to evade anxiety and potential punishment from men. The text is particularly significant as it blurs the boundary between what could be considered authentic womanliness and masquerade. Riviere further argues that both masquerade and womanliness serve as defensive mechanisms to protect against anxiety and should not be seen as primary forms of sexual enjoyment. This work has resonated profoundly within psychoanalytic and philosophical circles. It influenced Jacques Lacan—both in his early and later teachings—regarding femininity and its connections to castration and the phallus. Sixty years after its publication, the article became a cornerstone of third-wave feminist thought, inspiring scholars like Judith Butler and her poststructuralist perspective on gender performativity. Today, the text continues to be a critical reference not only in feminist, queer, and gender studies but also for philosophical and psychoanalytic inquiries. Thinkers like Alenka Zupančič, exploring the philosophical dimensions of sex, frequently draw upon Riviere's analyses, even when critically engaging with them.