Description
Since the first day of the term, we have discussed issues of gender – exactly what it means to be a man or a woman. Most recently, this has led to our reading of Cris Beam’s I Am J, a novel about a teenage transsexual – a young woman who identifies as a man and believes that she should have been born in a boy’s body.
Now, I would like you to write a paper that examines J’s – or Jeni’s – character in detail, specifically focusing on one and only one of the following questions:
Throughout the novel, J becomes obsessed with receiving testosterone injections and seems to see them as a cure-all for his problems. His therapist Philip explains to him that “testosterone is not magic. It does not fix your life” (pg. 217). Discuss the roots of J’s obsession with “T,” exactly what his therapist means by this statement and whether or not J seems to finally come to recognize this as true by the end of the book. As we discussed in class too, if you choose this option, it is strongly advisable that you examine J's story as as an example of a typical "quest" tale.
Marcia, a transsexual character that offers J some advice at one point, suggests that “we’re all transgender.” As much as J seemingly wants to be a man, does J demonstrate some feminine qualities? What are they? Ultimately, does it seem as if J will make a better man or a better woman? Why?
Though J has the added confusion and difficulty of transgenderism, in many ways, he is struggling through adolescence just like many other kids his age. With this in mind, discuss this novel as a bildungsroman – a coming-of-age tale – merely with the added wrinkle that J is transgender.
Nuts and bolts: As with our first paper, this essay should be no shorter than five paragraphs in length and should include a title that clearly indicates its contents. To sufficiently support your thesis, please provide as many details and as much evidence as is possible within the time allotted for writing. Like SE1, you are welcome to type the paper on the computer or write it out longhand. If you choose to type it, please use12-point font, double-spaced with margins no larger than 1” top and bottom and 1.25” side (the MS Word defaults). If you choose to write it out by hand, please bring a Blue Book with you to class. Finally, as this piece is NOT a personal narrative but a formal academic essay, it is MANDATORY that you refrain from using the first-person voice when drafting it (i.e. no “I think,” “I feel,” “In my opinion,” etc.).
Once again, when you come in to write this paper, you are allowed to bring notes, the novel and/or even an outline. The only thing that you CANNOT bring is a rough draft.
Sample Solution