NAVIGATING GLITCH FEMINISM: REIMAGINING ASIAN WOMANHOOD AND IDENTITY IN TAN’S SARONG PARTY GIRLS

Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of glitches—the sociocultural system errors and disrupted traditional gender norms—that empower marginalized women in Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan’s Sarong Party Girls (2016). Jazzy, the desperate protagonist in the backdrop of Singapore, challenges the social and cultural stratification. Her interaction with unsettling societal glamour celebrates the acceptance of glitches to challenge and transform gender and sexuality norms. By employing Legacy Russell’s glitch feminism, this research explores the cultural disruptions as they oscillate between cultural heritage and modern aspirations. This paper discusses how Jazzy's unapologetic pursuit of wealth and Westernized ideals disrupt hegemonic narratives of Asian womanhood while simultaneously laying bare the sociocultural systems that commodify and constrain female agency. Glitch feminism, as a framework, repositions societal errors as transformational opportunities to challenge the norms of oppression. By navigating and exploiting these contradictions, Jazzy redefines her identity, creating her own empowerment space, which results in commodification. Her act of seeking a more glamorous and opulent lifestyle symbolizes her desire to escape the traditional roles of Asian womanhood and redefine herself on her terms, aligning with Westernized standards of success and desirability. Moreover, this paper contributes to broader discourses on feminist theory, gender and global culture.