| Acknowledgements | 第1-7页 |
| 中文摘要 | 第7-8页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第8-9页 |
| CONTENTS | 第9-10页 |
| Introduction | 第10-18页 |
| 1. About Herman Melville | 第10-13页 |
| 2. About Billy Budd, Sailor | 第13-14页 |
| 3. A Literature Review of the Studies on Billy Budd | 第14-18页 |
| Chapter 1 Queer Theory and Gender Performativity | 第18-22页 |
| ·What is Queer Theory? | 第18-19页 |
| ·Judith Butler and Gender Performativity | 第19-22页 |
| Chapter 2 Billy, Claggart and Vere:Gender Performances | 第22-37页 |
| ·Billy:From a Foundling to a Beauty | 第23-27页 |
| ·A Foundling with Unknown Gender | 第23-25页 |
| ·A Handsome Man Feminized | 第25-27页 |
| ·Claggart:From Uncertain to Dual | 第27-31页 |
| ·A Man with Uncertain Gender | 第28-30页 |
| ·A Man with Dual Gender | 第30-31页 |
| ·Vere:From "Starry Vere" to Vere in Love | 第31-37页 |
| ·"Starry Vere":An Authoritative and Institutionalized Captain | 第32-34页 |
| ·Vere in Love:Traces of His Inner Love for Billy | 第34-37页 |
| Chapter 3 Interpretations of the Three Riddles | 第37-46页 |
| ·Claggart's Irritation to Billy:A Tangled Envy-Love Affection | 第37-41页 |
| ·Claggart's Envy of Billy for His Beauty | 第38-40页 |
| ·Claggart's Fear of His Love for Billy | 第40-41页 |
| ·Vere's Insistence of Executing Billy:To Strangle Mutable Gender | 第41-43页 |
| ·To End His Own Anxiety | 第41-42页 |
| ·To Suppress the Possible Gender Chaos on Bellipotent | 第42-43页 |
| ·Billy's Benediction to Vere:Submissiveness or Resistance? | 第43-46页 |
| Conclusion | 第46-48页 |
| Bibliography | 第48-50页 |
