On a recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy, one of the doctors, Warren, was out in the woods burying his father when his brother suddenly passed out. Once they got to the hospital they saw that his brother’s spleen was badly ruined and they did not know why. Later in the episode it was discovered that Warren’s brother was transitioning from a man to a woman and the excess amounts of estrogen caused the severe liver damage. In this episode telling his brother that he was a transgender woman was him confessing his true identity.
In the article The History of Sexuality by Michel Foucault, he states that “One confesses–or is forced to confess”(59). Thinking about the act of confessing this is often true. A person either confesses on their own time because they feel like they are ready to share that part of their lives with other people, or they are forced to confess because of situations that are out of their control. Much like Warren’s brother where he was forced to confess his identity to his brother because of his hospitalization, not because he was ready to express that part of himself.
When talking about the impact of confessions, Foucault also said “torture has accompanied it like a shadow”(59). Warren’s brother had to walk around everyday of his life for 6 years, pretending to be someone who he knew deep down inside he actually was not. Having to live your life in a manner that is not genuine and authentic to yourself is simply torture. By keeping the confession inside, Warren’s brother was placing the shadow over his true identity.
The act of Warren’s brother confessing his true identity shows that confessions are used as a way for a person to relieve themselves of secret and tensions that they hold onto internally. Once the brother confessed his true identity to Warren, there was a feeling of relief and genuine happiness with who he was. He no longer had to be tortured by the shadow this secret had over his life.