It is also important to remember the cultural background based on location as well as keeping in mind the ways in which gender in usually represented in speculative fiction. Theories and ideas like the ‘mind / body dichotomy’ must be kept in mind when attempting to unfold the characters of this novel and to establish a hypothesis on how gender is being represented and how that representation differs from others. Okorafor presents several characters in her novel who struggle with those issues. For example, oppression and sexual objectification are still mentioned frequently as problematic topics calling for feminist action. This, of course, leads to several issues for women, which are also relevant topics in Lagoon. It asserts that throughout time the typical gender role of the woman has established itself to be represented by the body, while, for men, it is represented by the mind. The topics which are subject to investigation when trying to establish gender roles deal with issues under the precept of different feminist disciplines, such as the psychological background of the ‘mind / body dichotomy’ which is described on page 4 of Susan Bordo’s book Unbearable Weight. Lizbeth Goodman describes gender as referring “to ways of seeing and representing people and situations based on sex difference” but adds that “Gender is a social or cultural category influenced by stereotypes of ‘male’ and ‘female’ behaviour that exist in our attitudes and beliefs” (7) in her book Literature and Gender.
It is important to define the term ‘gender’ before investigating the assigned roles hiding behind its definition. This is described on page 1 in Stevi Jackson and Jackie Jones’ book Contemporary Feminist Theories.
Gender representation is a type of research done under the pretext of the philosophical discourse of feminist theory, which, among other practices, investigates the gender roles that define a societal norm.
That and the themes as well as reader and author-related motives are guidelines to outline the representation of gender in Nnedi Okorafor’s Lagoon and attempting to expose a feminist mentality.
The characters and their actions underline the conflicts which define issues researched in gender studies. Among those, the novel explores terrains of gender inequality and gender identity and displays a feminist attitude towards those issues. Nnedi Okorafor’s novel Lagoon is a work of speculative fiction which challenges science fiction stereotypes by placing an alien invasion narrative inside Lagos, Nigeria and mixing mythological creatures and aliens with themes of spirituality, ideology, and political, social and personal dilemmas.
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