Choice Challenging Traditional Binary Gender Identity

Choice: Challenging Traditional Binary Gender Identity From the beginning of Middlesex, author Jeffrey Eugenides has set fate and choice up as contenders for the reason Cal experiences the gender issues that he does. At first glance, it may appear that Eugenides has manifested the old nature versus nurture argument through creative, modern gender experiences. In one sense, this is true. Throughout the novel, the reader watches Cal struggle with both the biological and societal feminine and masculine identities, both of which one could classify as â€Å"fate† oriented, for Cal had no say in his biological make up or societal rearing. While this argument is undoubtedly addressed throughout the novel, it becomes clear that Eugenides plays personal choice on one’s own gender as a trump card in spite of one’s biological make up or societal rearing. This is most prevalently displayed through his interchanging use of gender specific pronouns, specifically, the constantly gender- changing â€Å"I† pronoun. Simply put, Eugenides challenges traditional binary roles by not only allowing Cal to eventually switch genders to supersede rearing (nurture), but also allowing him to slip back into Callie in specific situations (nature). His free will allows him to float somewhere in between. Displayed through the use of pronouns, the novel ultimately challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing the power of free will and choice regardless of the fate one’s nature or nurture provided. FollowingShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Judith Butler s S Gender Trouble2691 Words   |  11 PagesA traditional view of homosexuality is that it is perceived as wrong. It is to be avoided, to be ‘othered’, and is subject to social abjection . 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