Introduction
In her article ‘What It Means to be Gendered Me: Life on the Boundaries of a Dichotomous Gender System”, Betsy Lucal convinces the reader of the inappropriateness of the society’s habit of forcing its members to “do gender” or simply ascribe to the formulated roles of the two main genders. She does this by employing an informal tone, detached diction and an inferior common ground to place her readers on the level of an individual who has been denied the right to exist freely without gender constraints.
The audience of the author’s article is the general society. This is because the issue that the author is exploring is experienced in almost every society, in the world, whether educated or uneducated.
In the article, the author an explicit analysis of her experiences as ambiguous gender characteristics. She talks about the consequences that emanate from her possessing such an identity which are more often than not negative consequences. The authors use the ethos and the pathos appeals to support her argument. In regards to pathos, her sad experiences she is put through by the society members because of her ambiguous gender identity connect emotionally with the audience. She also uses pathos when she tries to connect with the audience by saying that she is not different to any of them just because her physical features do not ascribe to one particular gender.
Lucal’s article was published in the year 1999 in the Gender and Society journal. In spite of the fact that more than a decade has passed since its publication, the article is still very relevant as the problems addressed by the author are still present in the society.
In conclusion, Betsy Lucal easily convinces the reader that is inappropriate for the society to force its members to “do gender” or simply ascribe to the formulated roles of the two main genders. Some individuals born different, and they should not be subjected to oppression or ridicule because of this.
Works Cited
Lucal, Betsy. "What It Means To Be Gendered Me: Life on the Boundaries of a Dichotomous Gender System." Gender & Society 13.6 (1999): 781-797. Print.
