Author: wellerk

“How to become a real man, a real woman, the real you, or something else entirely.” (Bornstein, cover page)

This fabulously ironic subtitle on Kate Bornstein’s My Gender Workbook is suggestive of a naïve societal notion.  The notion that: if one does not conform to society’s expectations of their gender role, then they are not a “real” male/female.  Bornstein presents this assumption, alluding to the fact that her workbook is going to help people fit the “norm,” when in reality it completely goes against this norm.

In the case of Tyler from Mootoo’s Cereus Blooms at Night, Bornstein’s Workbook acts as a lens to see more deeply into his situation.  According to the synopsis found on the back of Mootoo’s novel, Tyler is a “vivacious male nurse.”  Bornstein would say that the assumption of his gender is an unfair one.  The synopsis is often one of the first things that a reader reads to get a sense of the plot and content of a novel.  In this case, the reader is told that Tyler is a male, perhaps before they even start reading the book, eliminating the ability for said reader to form their own gender for Tyler.

“I held up the dress and slowly stepped in to it, savouring every action, noting every feeling,” (Mootoo, 77).

 Perhaps (s)he could be a vivacious male who likes to dress in women’s clothing from time to time, or, Tyler could be a woman who does not usually wear dresses.  But, because of the synopsis, we automatically assume that Tyler is gay, feminine, flamboyant, and maybe transgender.  Bornstein would say that all of these assumptions are wrong.  It shouldn’t matter that Tyler is supposedly a male, because what decides that?  The fact that he has a penis?  The gender binary that exists and has existed forever, is a very limiting one and an outdated one at that.  As a society, we are collectively getting better about prejudices and preconceived assumptions about others, but one issue remains: we still notice.  We have been trained, since birth, to think:

                                                                                             penis=boy=strong/athletic/masculine=likes girls, and                                                                         vulva=girl=emotional/caring/feminine=likes boys

So, when a person with “male” anatomy puts on a feminine article of clothing, we notice that something is different.  Even if we are completely accepting of these “differences,” the fact that we acknowledge the difference shows that it still matters.

So, to draw back on Bornstein’s subtitle, is Tyler trying to become a real man, a real woman, or something else? And why should he have to choose?

The reason Miss Ramchandin paid me no attention was that, to her mind, the outfit was not something to either congratulate or scorn-it simply was.  She was not one to manacle nature, and I sensed that she was permitting mine its freedom” (Mootoo, 77).

The words “congratulate” and “scorn,” offer a binary, which is quickly dismissed when Tyler says “it simply was,” implying that the normality or abnormality of his ensemble did not matter to Miss Ramchandin and thus was a moot point. Therefore, the binary is evident, but holds little to no meaning.  Although Miss Ramchandin may not be 100% “with it” mentally, her blindness to Tyler’s change suggests that perhaps she looks for deeper qualities than can be found on the exterior.

Tyler treats her with fairness and respect, something that she may not be used to, given her incest-filled past, and as a result; she looks at Tyler as a kind-spirited person, no matter how he dresses or acts.  Similarly, Tyler is not always treated well or taken seriously, so from that regard the two share a special, non-judgmental bond.

“She was not one to manacle nature.”  This passage suggests that Miss Ramchandin may disagree with the male/female gender binary that exists.  Manacles are often used when discussing restraining measures taken on criminals, which is interesting, because those who do not conform to one or the other gender are often treated as criminals, as if there is something wrong with them.

You’re either a man or a woman; if you are a man, you are masculine and if you are a woman, you’re feminine. These are the expectations, a biological imperative, and anything that does not fit the mold is out casted and treated differently than those who conform. But why does nature have to be “manacled?”

Kate Bornstein discusses her opinion concerning the issue in “My Gender Workbook,” openly disagreeing with the binary expectation placed on us by society.  The quote from Mootoo’s novel indirectly supports this, saying essentially that gender should be “permitt[ed] its freedom,” something that Miss Ramchandin does!  Overall, I think that Miss Ramchandin’s difficult past has allowed her to see past the “societal bad” in people, or rather, the differences that they may exhibit

Sharp points of desire were still there but there was too a sleepy safe rest like being in a boat I had as a child. She rocked me against her, sea-calm, sea under a clear sky, a glass-bottomed boat and nothing to fear.” (80)

The sea holds a metaphor for tranquility and bliss. Contrastingly, “sharp points,” and “glass-bottomed boat,” allude to destruction of some sort. In a glass-bottomed boat, nothing is for certain. A casual brush against a coral reef or rock will shatter the bottom, and the boat will most certainly sink. The narrator erects this idea of a glass-bottomed boat, but quickly follows it up by saying that ze has nothing to fear, because Louise is with zir.

The paragraph that follows the above passage ends with two important sentences: “The sea is a means not an end. They trust it in spite of the signs.” Despite the overwhelming vastness of the ocean and the immense power that it has to destroy things, it must be trusted. But how does this make sense? How can one trust something, when they are aware of the damage that it can cause? While I do not have a definitive answer to this question, I assume that many would answer that question with one word: “Love.” Love is the reason for people’s outlandish actions, and it is the driving force behind much bravery. For instance, the narrator’s “glass-bottomed boat and nothing to fear” reference.

I found this to be comparable to Halberstam’s “Queer Time” in a unique way. As we discussed in class, those who do not live in “queer time,” are oftentimes confused and sometimes offended, by the way that others live their lives (ties in with Warner as well). With that being said, those who are in queer time, are not affected positively or negatively because it is normal for them. In other words, although being “queer” is often put under scrutiny by those with closed minds, and people undergo unfair ridicule for their sexual preference, perhaps the quest for love makes it worthwhile and evokes a sense of fearlessness.

“I am painfully situated, Utterson; my position is a very strange- a very strange one. It is one of those affairs that cannot be mended by talking,” (13).

The passage is demonstrative of the awkward position in which Dr. Jekyll sits. It is evident that Jekyll’s situation cannot be discussed because of the horror that it evokes, but it also becomes pertinent when discussed in the context of his personal internal battle. A classic (but more realistic) case of a man vs. himself conflict is both the cause and the effect of this ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ complex.

“A very strange,” is repeated twice, to emphasize the abnormality of his situation, but also to make Utterson and the reader even more curious as to what is happening. The words ‘painfully,’ ‘strange,’ and ‘mended,’ stick out to me, as I feel that they go hand in hand. Pain is something that we as humans try to avoid or fix, and doctors are usually the people whom we seek out to “mend our pain.” This is significant because Jekyll, a doctor, cannot seem to mend himself, and instead, slips further and further into an evil impostor of himself who seeks to fulfill his strange “un-doctorly” desires. This brings oppositional irony into play, in conjunction with the strands of similar words.

The excerpt implies that Jekyll knows that what he does is sick and strange, but he cannot stop doing it. It seems almost as an addiction to wrong-doings, but drastic measures to ensure that his “good” reputation is not tainted. It ties in with identity and the fact that people cannot suppress who they are (or even half of who they are) without some sort of unfavorable consequence. The internal battle will prove to be far too overpowering and self-destructive.