Definition
Androgyny, in Greene's account of seduction, is the appeal of a gender-blended self-presentation — a person who mixes traits conventionally coded as masculine and feminine rather than settling firmly into one. The seductive force is not the blend itself but the ambiguity: the observer cannot quickly resolve the figure, and that unresolved quality holds attention.
Greene draws on a long history of androgynous appeal, from mythological figures to performers and dandies. The recurring pattern is that a self which resists easy categorization invites a wider and more curious response.
Why it matters
How it works
Androgyny works by withholding a quick answer to the question "what is this person?" Most self-presentation lets observers categorize fast and then move on. A blended presentation slows that process: the observer continues to look, to wonder, to project. The blend also broadens reach — qualities that would appeal narrowly if fully coded one way become accessible to a larger audience when mixed. The result is sustained, curious attention rather than a fast, settled judgment.