May272012
As I was talking about in class the other day, I noticed a connection between M Butterfly and  Thomas Beatie, otherwise known as the Pregnant Man. In M Butterfly, Song pretends to be a woman and claims pregnancy in order to reenforce Gallimard’s false belief that she is a woman. Because Song uses pregnancy to emphasize her womanhood, she asserts the idea that only women are capable of having babies. But Thomas Beatie proved her wrong by being the first man to have a child, but it turns out Beatie was formerly a woman. I have heard that physical attributes are what define the sex, but the way one feels determines their gender. Does this statement make Beatie a woman still? Or does having a uterus make someone a woman? I personally believe that he is still a man, but I know some people may disagree with me, so please respond with your thoughts!  -Amanda

As I was talking about in class the other day, I noticed a connection between M Butterfly and  Thomas Beatie, otherwise known as the Pregnant Man. In M Butterfly, Song pretends to be a woman and claims pregnancy in order to reenforce Gallimard’s false belief that she is a woman. Because Song uses pregnancy to emphasize her womanhood, she asserts the idea that only women are capable of having babies. But Thomas Beatie proved her wrong by being the first man to have a child, but it turns out Beatie was formerly a woman. I have heard that physical attributes are what define the sex, but the way one feels determines their gender. Does this statement make Beatie a woman still? Or does having a uterus make someone a woman? I personally believe that he is still a man, but I know some people may disagree with me, so please respond with your thoughts! 

-Amanda

gender sex m butterfly thomas beatie pregnant man song gallimard 

January122012

“Because each had discovered years before that they were neither white nor male, and that all freedom and triumph was forbidden to them, they had to set about creating something else”

This quote really struck me when I read it. At first I thought they had to be at least 16, but I re read it to realize the girls were only 12 when they realized that their gender and race stood in the way of being sucessful and having freedom. At such a young age they realize such a handicap, but one that is so commonplace that they brushed it off like it was a failed game they played or favorite candy was gone and “they had to set about creating something else”. They go on to talk about the girls getting satisfaction from the attention of men infront of the icecream shop and I thought about the book Bossypants by Tina Fey

“When did you first realize you were leaving your childhood behind and entering womanhood?” was asked to a selected group of women—the group being racially and economically diverse. Their answers varied only slightly. The majority of these gals recall “car creepery” and actually claim it to be that exact moment of entering the halls of womanhood. You know, those times when you were just walking home from school and some dick-head drives by, rolls down his window and yells intelligent remarks like, “Nice tits.” and “Hey, baby, I’ll take some fries with that shake.”

Personally I think its so interesting that women determine that they have reached womanhood based off of men’s attentions, usually leery and gross ones too. Instead of a maturity or a new view on the world, Nel and Sula console themselves by seeking the attention of their oppressors. Its an interesting relationship between the genders in this society. What does everyone else feel about that? Why do women base their identity so strongly off of men’s attentions?

-Clare Schneider

tina fey toni morrison gender sexism 

Page 1 of 1