Quotation:
Stryker uses the monster as a figure of bodily disidentification and dysphoria, a figure for, as she writes, “the abject despair over what gender had done to me” (“My Words” 251). This association between monstrosity and an abiding negative affect can be found in Joy Ladin’s writing about “my primal sense of ugliness, my lifelong belief that, as a transsexual, I was a monster” (227).
Koch, 45
Comment:
I felt this essay deeply as a trans person. I never knew that the monster in Frankenstein was used as a transphobic symbol in the media, but it makes sense in a way. Both conservatives and trans-exclusive radical feminists alike tend to refer to transitioning as a mutilation of the body; something disgusting cobbled together in an effort to play god or defy science. But rather than focusing on the pejorative, transphobic use of Frankenstein’s monster’s symbology, I’d like to examine the relatability of the monster to trans folks, as mentioned in the quote above.
I don’t really think that Shelley intended a theme of dysphoria that trans people can relate to when she was writing Frankenstein, but I reserve the right to interpret. The creature comes into the world not knowing what it is. He is rejected by his creator and left to figure out his existence for himself, all while being persecuted and shunned by society. He eventually settles and observes how normal people look and act, then sees himself and understands that he is monstrous and will never be loved. Growing up trans often has a similar experience, especially with trans women. Femininity in assigned men at birth is already very taboo in society, being seen as ‘pansy’ or ‘gay’ if you play dress-up or do traditionally feminine jobs or sports. As kids who can’t understand who they are yet, the hostility they can be met with from community, friends, and even family can cause lifelong trauma. Then, as they grow and realize they aren’t like their cisgendered peers, it becomes isolating and you come to think that something is wrong with you and no one will ever love you because of this. This is not a product of their trans-ness, but rather how the society around them treats their trans-ness. Very similarly to the creature in Frankenstein’s story.
Questions:
A lot of Koch’s essay talks about the transphobia surrounding Frankenstein’s symbology and how it’s been used to delegitimize trans experience and existence. Where else have monsters been used to demonize minorities? Have there been narratives that do this on purpose in the original text?
