One Is Not Born A Woman Analysis

Different types of sexualities and relationships are constantly being acknowledged and accepted all around the world. However, heterosexuality is still the dominant discourse because the society continues to promote it in the media, in literature and in many other things, such as legal documents and weddings. Monique Wittig’s article, “One is Not Born a Women” argues that sex and gender categories are systems that are socially constructed and created in order to label and distinguish a person from another. Through the institution of marriage, Frank Capra’s film, “It’s a Wonderful Life” supports Wittig’s ideas, as it demonstrates how marriage exists mainly to reinforce heterosexuality and gender norms. Trauma is psychological injury, a wound …show more content…
Sethe’s actions reflect her gender identity as a mother, where she chooses to do what is best for her children by attempting to kill them all to prevent them from living in such a miserable world full of discrimination and hatred. Sethe further shows how her experiences of living in a world where she must undergo slavery and accept constant abuse from white men shape her gender identity into becoming a woman that exhibits a mixture of both feminine and masculine traits. Stimpson’s article helps to support Sethe’s change in behaviour, where she mentions in her article how there are many books that contain information about female sexuality and legends of their bodies and culture. Due to this, women “rebel and overthrow the order of things, […] burn their own books [and] their own linguistic past” (61). From this, Stimpson presents the idea of a new beginning in life, where gender and sexuality are not structured by books or authority figures, but by the person themselves. Thus, people are meant to define themselves, which is what Sethe ends up doing in the