Recognition and Recognizability in Lynn Nottage’s <i>Ruined</i>

This paper reexamines Lynn Nottage’s 2008 play Ruined , a powerful portrayal of Congolese women’s experiences during the civil war. Contrary to some critics’ argument that Ruined reinforces neoliberal ideals and/or stereotypes of victimhood, this study contends that Ruined in fact challenges dominant power structures through its portrayal of women’s struggles for recognition and agency. Drawing on Judith Butler’s concepts of recognition and recognizability, this study demonstrates how the play’s female characters contest patriarchal frames of recognition and seek to assert their own identities and preserve their humanity amidst the dehumanizing conditions. Ruined inspires activism and embodies political hope through a focus on the ways in which Congolese women negotiate norms and frames that govern recognition and abjection. It, therefore, envisions a world where oppressed women can exercise creative agency and challenge dominant power structures.