Zahra Nur Fadilah

180410140027
Kelas: B
The Obscure Gender in The Story of X by Lois Gould and Pinkland by Graham Joyce
The Story of X seems to want to appear a new sex of human. There are only two sexes of
human, female and male. The third sex is the combine of female and male characteristics. Two
characters in Pinkland deny their gender for achieving their sexual urge. Both two stories emerge
goals that want to be achieved by main characters. The limit of sexes becomes obscure.
Gender is an essential part of human life. Sexism and gender roles are questions which
engage the deepest personal dimensions of human life (Eagleton, 2008: 14). Every sex, both female
and male, has some characteristics whether it likes playing football or doll. X is pressured to like all
things of female and male. This discussion is a sensitive matter to be talked. Both female and male
have physical organs which represent themselves. According to Peter Barry (2002), the male
physical organ itself (whatever might have been Freud's intentions), but as concerning that organ as
an emblem of social power and the advantages which go with it (p. 90). The destruction of gender
limitation is emerged in this story. There is the unresolved gender in The Story of X. The physical
organ of X cannot be recognized by society in that story. The story reveals that the parents can tell
whether it was a boy or girl (p. 1). The experts even conceal the fact of Xs gender. The main
character, including scientists and Joneses, seem to want to destruct the feature of female and male.
Then, there is no limitation between them. The abilities of X are limitless. It can do both girl and boy
works. The narrator portrays the gender of baby X as a gender that will make people surrounding it,
even readers are very curious about who X is. Each gender must have sexual urge, such as a normal
man must have liked a normal woman and vice versa. According to Haywood and Ghaill in a book
entitled Men and Masculinities: Theory, research and social practice that Through socialization, sex
role theorists argue, males and females are conditioned into appropriate roles of behavior (2003: 7).
The society life is also about the divide into two groups, male and female groups. As friends of X ask
it "who's your favorite sports star?", "What's your favorite TV show?" (p. 2),etc. There is no space of
X. The third sex in this story cannot be admitted by society, including Xs friends and parents of them.
They exclude the gender of X although one time they will know what the gender of X is. The role of
the official instruction manual in The Story of X is important. It cannot be separated with the life of X.
It means the continuity of the life of X depends on the official instruction manual. The Official
Instruction Manual has a crucial role to achieve both scientist goals and the desire of Joneses. The
project of Baby X can be assumed a success project by appearance of the curiousity of Xs friends
and the parents.
The same thing also occurs in Pinkland. There is unclear gender in Sammy. The narrator
depicts Sammy as a man who behave like a woman,Favouring a feminine, clinging satin skirt and
wearing a nimbus of flowery perfume, Sammy deliberately arrived half an hour early, taking up
position (p. 31). The gender of Sammy can be recognized by the use of pronoun of narrator to
Sammy he. An advance of technology also supports this cyberspace relation. The love story which
occurs in cyberspace make the characters addicted conversing through internet rather than in real
time. They find much fun. Sammy seems not want to know the reality. He is trapped in unreal
existence. He lacks socialization with other man. It makes him be feminine. According to Haywood
and Ghaill,Consequently, attitude tests, according to one strand of sex role theory, can be used to
measure levels of socialization by the amounts of masculinity that males possess (see Bem 1974)
(2003:7). Sammy feels lonely. He finds out comfort and freedom in Nat. He do not need to feel throat
dry, hands trembling (p. 41).
Being a woman or a man is a choice. Every human must have had an interest to the opposite
gender. In general, society cannot accept another gender beside male and female. Abandoning about
the physical organ, as if X is forced to be able two things about male and female. It seems the goal of
scientists been achieved. Beside that, the third gender or X does not have the particular cloths. It
wears both cloths male and female. In Pinkland also, Sammy behaves like a woman. As the narrator
calls Sammy he and describes Sammys relationship that ordinary relationships with a girl (Joyce:
44).
References
Gould, L., & Chwast, J. (1978). X, a fabulous child's story. New York: Daughters Pub. Co.
Joyce, Graham. 1998. Pinkland. London: Indigo Publisher.
Eagleton, Terry. 2008. Literary Theory: An Introduction. The United States: The University of
Minnesota Press.
Barry, Peter. 2002. Beginning theory: An introduction to literary and cultural theory. Manchester:
Manchester University Press.
Haywood, Chris and Mirtn Mac an Haill. 2003. Men and Masculinities. Buckingham, Philadelphia:
Open University Press