An Analysis of Cloud Atlas from the Perspective of Queer Theory

British author David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas is set in 1930s England and tells the story of Frobisher’s growing experience as a homosexual. Frobisher, the protagonist, suffers from unequal treatment as a result of his homosexual identity and is disciplined and oppressed by heterosexual hegemony and gender dichotomy. Therefore, he performs different gender identities and changes his gender identity. Finally, Frobisher bravely challenged heterosexual hegemony and gender dichotomy to realize self-identity. Based on queer theory, combined with Michel Foucault’s power discourse theory and Judith Butler’s gender performance theory, this paper takes the oppression and resistance of homosexuals in the heterosexual hegemony in the novel as the entry point to think about gender performativity of the protagonist to explore the challenge of queer people from heterosexual hegemony and the bondage of gender identity, to achieve diversity and freedom of sexuality and gender.