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“I’m a girl. But now I’m a boy too”: Ｑueerness and autonomy in Hemingway’s The Garden of Eden (1986) and “The Sea Change” (1931)

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Author

  • Mikael Nilsson

Summary, in English

Much has been written about Hemingway’s works from a feminist or queer perspective, including the relation between Hemingway’s biography and his representation of female characters, female domination and homosexuality. In comparison, the queer sub-field of transgender studies, which entails analyzing gender transgression and influence, has received little attention by scholars of Hemingway studies. In this essay, I locate and analyze instances of transgender identities and gender influences regarding the question of how these interact with other identities in the novel The Garden of Eden (1986) and the short story “The Sea Change” (1931). In addition, I analyze how these individual identities interact with the feminist concept of relational autonomy. This essay draws the conclusion that Hemingway’s portrayal of queer gender identities and their interactions in these two works of prose fiction exemplify the autonomy of these queer characters.

Summary, in English

Much has been written about Hemingway’s works from a feminist or queer perspective, including the relation between Hemingway’s biography and his representation of female characters, female domination and homosexuality. In comparison, the queer sub-field of transgender studies, which entails analyzing gender transgression and influence, has received little attention by scholars of Hemingway studies. In this essay, I locate and analyze instances of transgender identities and gender influences regarding the question of how these interact with other identities in the novel The Garden of Eden (1986) and the short story “The Sea Change” (1931). In addition, I analyze how these individual identities interact with the feminist concept of relational autonomy. This essay draws the conclusion that Hemingway’s portrayal of queer gender identities and their interactions in these two works of prose fiction exemplify the autonomy of these queer characters.

Publishing year

2023

Language

English

Document type

Student publication for Bachelor's degree

Topic

  • Languages and Literatures

Keywords

  • Ernest Hemingway
  • relational autonomy
  • queer theory
  • transgender studies
  • contagious gendering
  • queer spaces

Supervisor

  • Monika Class