Challenging Heteronormativity in the Classroom and Beyond : A Literary Analysis of Being Emily by Rachel Gold

Sammanfattning

There is an urgent need for schools to include education that critically examines heteronormativity and its position in society. By including queer perspectives in education, the power structures that support and maintain heteronormativity can be examined, with the aim of trying to make our society more accepting of non-normative people. This degree project examines Being Emily: Anniversary Edition through a literary analysis that explores how the narrative challenges and questions heteronormativity through its representation of gender and gender norms. Being Emily is a young adult novel about Christopher Hesse, a transgender girl who is assigned male at birth and struggles to live in accordance with her gender identity while navigating societal expectations. The analysis is inspired by queer theory and draws on Judith Butler’s theory of “doing gender” to examine how the protagonist perpetuates stereotypical masculine and feminine behavior. Judith A. Langer’s concept of “envisionment” and “envisionment building”, as well as Kevin Kumashiro’s theory of achieving “anti-oppressive education”, are discussed in relation to the analysis to investigate how students may engage with the text to gain a better understanding of topics that might challenge their preconceived notions of what is perceived as normative. The analysis reveals important aspects that the teacher may highlight as moments of educational benefit, where students might learn something new or reach a point of contention. The analysis and accompanying discussion examine and highlight things that a teacher might want to consider when approaching the subject of LGBTQIA+. As shown in the analysis, several aspects of the narrative might raise questions about students' individual identities, which, in turn, will better equip them to understand people who are different from themselves. It is known that trans people are discriminated against in society, and it is through understanding and empathy that prejudice and hate can cease to exist. Through reading Being Emily, students will have the opportunity to gain that understanding.