J.L. Austin and Judith Butler

Performative Utterances vs. Constative Utterances

J.L. Austin describes performative utterances as utterances that actually perform the action to which they refer. Constative utterances make a statement, describe a state of affairs, and are true or false. Constative utterances also perform actions – actions of stating, affirming, and describing. An example of a performative utterance is “I promise to pay you.” An example of constative utterance is “George promised to come.”


The literary utterance does not refer to a prior state of affairs and is not true or false. The literary utterance:
1. Brings into being characters and their actions, and
2. Bring into being ideas and concepts which they deploy.

Judith Butler’s Performatives

American philosopher Judith Butler spearheaded the emergence of a ‘performative theory of gender and sexuality’ in feminist theory and in gay and lesbian studies.


I found it interesting that the avant-garde have adopted the name ‘Queer Theory’ to represent works in cultural theory that are linked with political movements for gay liberation. This is ironic, since the word ‘queer’ was deemed as such a derogative term that it was almost considered taboo.


Butler proposes that we consider gender as performative, meaning that it is not was one is, but what one does (your gender is created by your acts).
 This chapter in Literary Theory presented many new ideas. I’m still trying to comprehend why feminism, lesbianism, and any other –ism relating to gender and sexual preference can’t be consolidated into one category. It seems that everyone wants to have their little “niche” and none of the experts wants to be associated with the other experts claiming some sort of sexual expertise.