Crusade for Identity: An Exploration of Space Among Gender, Diversity and Inequality in Anna-Marie McLemore’s When the Moon Was Ours and Blanca and Roja
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1303.05Keywords:
colourism, gender identity, trans normality, queer conflict, queer magical realismAbstract
The purpose of the research is to comprehend the highly polymorphic notion of identity in the works of Anna Marie McLemore, a Mexican American writer. A detailed inspection of his works indicates that the concept of ‘identity disintegration’ is a concern in virtually all of them. This research aims to demonstrate identity development as a process rather than a distinct result of the struggle. Identity development, as an ever-changing process, provides us with new avenues for investigating subjectivity. Using a close reading of the selected texts, this research demonstrates that identity disintegration is an ongoing process that can create new understandings and possibilities. Through these processes and subsequent learning to survive in postmodern society, individuals can create their subjective identities. This article uses When the Moon Was Ours and Blanca and Roja to relate young adult literature to magical realist canonical works, notably analysing how the texts use magical realism to examine trans bodies. The genre, magical realism is typically characterized by fluidity and intangibility, which explores gender and sexuality in the select texts, helping readers grapple with issues of identity and representation. Similarly, McLemore’s use of Latinx traditions allows young readers to engage in intersectional debates about magical realism, trans bodies and Latinx culture. Through the retelling, McLemore can present nuanced arguments about trans bodies and the Latinx culture that often rejects them which in turn inspires the young readers to explore with an open mind.
References
Bem, D.J. (1996). Exotic Becomes Erotic: A Developmental Theory of Sexual Orientation, Psychological Review, 103(2), 320–335 https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.103.2.320.
Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. & Pfäfflin, F. (2003). Transgenderism and Intersexuality in Childhood and Adolescence: Making Choices, SAGE Publication.
Corbett, E. (2020). Transgender Novels in Transgender Packages: The Peritextual Materials of Young Adult Fiction. The International Journal of Young Adult Literature, 1(1). DOI: http://doi.org/10.24877/ijyal.32.
Córdova, Z., & Aldama, F.L. (2019). Interventions: An Interview with Zoraida Córdova, American Novel Review 41(1), 14–15, doi:10.1353/abr.2019.0131.
Ehrensaft, D. (2011). Boys Will Be Girls, Girls Will Be Boys: Children Affect Parents as Parents Affect Children in Gender Nonconformity. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 28(4), 528–548. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023828
Ehrensaft, D. (2014). Listening To and Learning From Gender Nonconforming Children. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 68(1), 28–56. Https://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.2015.11785504.
Ginsberg, R., & Glenn, W. (Eds.). (2019). Engaging with Multicultural YA Literature in the Secondary Classroom: Critical Approaches for Critical Educators (1st ed.) Routledge. Https://doi.org/10.4324/978042905319.
Kettlitz, H., & Wylutzki, M. (2020). Das Science Fiction Jahr 2020, Hirnkost. pp. 93–105.
Latham, R. (2010). Nalo Hopkinson: An Introduction. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 21(3(80)), p.338-338. Http://www.jstor.org/stable/24352266.
Loraine, H. (2018). Strange Ideas About Women, Families, and How We Work: A Review of Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLemore, Journal of Bisexuality, DOI: 10.1080/15299716.2018.1429990.
Márquez, G. G. (2000). One hundred years of solitude. Penguin Classics.
McLemore, A.M. (2020). Blanca and Roja: A Literary Princess, retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://aliteraryprincess.com/2020/05/19/fairy-tale-friday-blanca-and-roja-by-anna-marie-McLemore.
McLemore, A.M. (2021). Behind the Scenes of Blanca & Roja with Anna-Marie McLemore - Fierce Reads. Fierce Reads. Retrieved December 23, 2022, from https://www.fiercereads.com/blog/behind-the-scenes-of-blanca-roja-with-anna-marie-McLemore.
Morgan, C. (2020). Das Phantastische ins Kippen bringen. In H. Kettlitz & M. Wylutzki (Eds.), Das Science Fiction Jahr 2020 (93 – 110) Hirnkost.
Neyah, V.R., & Vijayakumar, M. (2022). Unwinding the Identity and Racial Saga in Maya Angelou’s Gather Together in My Name. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(7), 1332-1336.
Pickstone-Taylor, S.D. (2003). Children With Gender Nonconformity. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 472-481.
Queally-Gainer, K. (2016). [Review of the novel When the Moon Was Ours, by Anna-Marie McLemore] Bulletin of the Centre for Children's Novel s, 70(2), 83–84; doi:10.1353/bcc.2016.0807.
Queally-Gainer, K. (2018). [Review of the novel Blanca & Roja, by Anna-Marie McLemore] Bulletin of the Centre for Children's Novel s 72(2), 80. doi:10.1353/bcc.2018.0685.
Rajkumar, S., & Vijayakumar, M. (2023). Portrayal of Homeland Reminiscences in Sunetra Gupta’s Memories of Rain and A Sin of Colour. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 13(1), 42-49.
Seifert, L. C. (2015). Introduction: Queering Fairy Tales, Marvels, and Tales: Journal of Fairy Tale Studies, 29(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.13110/marvelstales.29.1.0015
Stamper, N., & Miller, C. (2019). Arts-Based Approaches to Social Justice in Literature | 18 | Exploring Taylor & Francis, 1st edition, pp. 171–178 Routledge. Https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429053191-18.
Suganya, C., & Vijayakmar, M. (2022). Surrogacy: A Bio-economical Exploitation of Proletariats in Amulya Malladi’s A House for Happy Mothers. World Journal of English Language, 12(8), p127.
Thomas, V. E. (2019). Gazing at “It”: An Intersectional Analysis of Trans normativity and Black Womanhood in Orange is the New Black. Communication, Culture and Critique, 13(4), 519–535. https://doi.org/10.1093/ccc/tcz030.
Vergara. (2022). Magical Fairy Tale Retellings, theportalist.com. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://theportalist.com/fairy-tale-retellings.
Vijay, P., & Vijayakumar, M. (2022). Domestic Violence and Sexual Exploitation in Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(2), 274-280.
Vijay, P., & Vijayakumar, M. (2022). Dissolution of Cultural Diversity, Morality and Immigrants’ Dreams in John Lanchester’s Capital. World Journal of English Language, 12(5), 128-128.
Vijayakumar, M., & Banu, S. P. (2013). Diasporic Perceptions and Cultural Disorientations in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. Life Science Journal, 10(3), 1662-6.
Villains Wiki. (2022). Dwarf (Snow White and Rose Red) Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Dwarf_(Snow_White_and_Rose_Red)
Vinoth, V.V., & Vijayakumar, M. (2022). The Dystopian Scourge of Women in Gilead Society as Portrayed in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(12), 2704-2711.
Warrach, H.J. (2018). Generational Differences in Mentoring Relationships, JAMA, 320(10), 1037, http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.9031.
