Femininity's Framework

In Neuromancer, Gibson slyly introduces the strength of femininity. His strongest character for this framework is Molly. Our first evidence in the second section of Gibson’s novel is, when Chase meets Molly and tells her of Lupus’ message. He simply shows her a word written on a napkin. Quickly Molly quiets Chase as they head off to visit Finn in order to talk with electronics jamming eavesdropping; “ ‘Lupus Yonder boy. He had a message.’ He passed her a paper napkin with W I N T E R M U T E printed in red felt pen in his neat, laborious capitals. ‘He said –‘ but then her hand came up in the jive for silence (p.69).” I think this is an important part of the book when looking at femininity because Chase found important information and knew he had to go to the women, Molly, to figure it out. She is the one who understood they could not discuss things where they were and she is the one who understood that wintermute is a computer that can think for itself.

Another passage in Neuromancer that I found important in thinking about femininity was during the attack of Riviera. “She spat into the pond. ‘God knows. I’d as soon kill him as look at him. I saw his profile. He’s a kind of compulsive Judas. Can’t get off sexually unless he knows he’s betraying the object of desire. That what the file says…He’s done eighteen in three years. All women age twenty to twenty five (p. 92).” Here Molly discusses not only understand more than her male colleagues but also having equally great discussed in the man they are catching. It is fascinating because it is nauseating and completely undignified for women to be attacked in such a manner by a man. This is ironic because Molly, strength in the eyes of feminitity, is discussing a man who brings worthlessness to women. Ironically Molly is the only one who is able to see through Rivera’s illusions and is able to knock him out.

Consequently, I think these passages would make a feminist proud while reading Gibson’s Neuromancer.