The Unidentified Tyler!

Our understanding of sexuality has historically established the existence of labels such as male, female, feminine, and masculine. These historical social constructions have implied the non-exigence of anything in between those two primary gender labels. According to Judith Butler, we consider gender as a “corporeal style, an act, as it were, which is both intentional and performative..where performative suggests dramatic and contingent construction of meaning” (Butler 139). We are historically constructed into a gender, an identity, which we have obeyed through historic time. Eventually, it has become a lifestyle, a sustained and repeated “corporeal project”. Individuals became accustomed to such labels and identities, however, from the beginning of the 20th century this labeled identities began to question who they identity as, or if their are any labels that will be able to identify them.

Furthermore, author Shani Mootoo creates a novel that brings up the topic of unordinary gender identities. Mootoo presents characters that fit neither side of the gender binary, but rather presents us to the continuum of gender and sexual roles and behaviors. For example, Tyler, the narrator, is biologically male, has a sexual affinity for man, and engages in cross-dressing. Indeed, he felt that “there was something delicious about about the confinement of his hairy legs in stockings” (Mootoo 83). By using the character of Tyler, Mootoo is able to renegotiate gendered roles of and its impact of labour (jobs) based on ones gender. Not only does he like the stockings, but he also likes being a nurse and a caregiver. In my opinion, Tyler is a symbol of uniqueness, an unknown gender identity that he is able to portray but not identity. In my eyes, he embraces a man who breaks the constituted rule that only women ought to be nurses, caregivers, or any motherly symbol.

3 thoughts on “The Unidentified Tyler!”

  1. Your synopsis and interwoven experts of Butler really brings into the idea of the “construction of meaning” (Butler 139), and you’re right with the fact that Tyler challenges the readers “construction of meaning” and unfolds his story page after page. I also believe that with Tyler being nurse, as you mentioned, challenges societies “construction of meaning” and not only societies but also the nurses around Tyler. Although Tyler is seen as feminine, being a nurse is seen as a female job, because of the stereotype “caretaker” but Tyler continues to push those boundaries of gender stereotyping and continues to demand a silent respect.

  2. Tyler as a character is truly extraordinary. Given that in the novel he references that he’s not boy or girl, but “somewhere in between”, telling the story from his perspective is immediately interesting and generally unrepresented. Imagine how different the story would be told from the point of The Sister?
    Mootoo is really brilliant in using Tyler as the main character, I entirely agree with you. Tyler forces the reader to question how we understand gender roles but also gender presentation as a mode of SURVIVAL. If Tyler were to present in a way that he states feels more “natural”, he would most likely not succeed professionally in the home or socially with his coworkers.

  3. Thank you for elaborating on Judith Butler’s work, it was great to read your post because it truly helped my understanding of her piece. I liked your connection between Butler’s piece and Mootoo’s __Cereus Blooms at Night__. I talked about Tyler’s lack of identity, but you took it in a very different direction than I did. I liked how you talked about his biological sex, his sexuality, and his actions. Certainly this novel challenges every socially constructed binary, through characters like Tyler and Ambrose. I like how you said Tyler was a “symbol of uniqueness”, as I think the word “unique” is one of the few words that do justice to the character. You did a great job, this was very informative and enjoyable to read!

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