In the first book, she puts on a man’s clothes and finds that she
can get the job she wants and act as assertive as she wants, much more so than
when she dresses as a conventional girl.
That’s what Jane’s cross dressing was to me, as the author, in
the beginning. The discovery that it is easier for men than women to achieve in
the ordinary world.
But after Copy Boy, many readers came to me with questions
about Jane’s sexuality, about her gender. They often asked, Is she gender
fluid?
Honestly, I didn’t know. I only knew that Jane experienced power
and comfort in wearing pants that she’d never experienced in dresses (largely
because the dresses lacked pockets, which Jane LOVES).
In Tomboy, I’ve begun to look at that question more
directly, asking nineteen year old Jane if she wishes she were a man rather
than a woman. Or if she is attracted to women more than she is to men. She
meets other characters in Tomboy who make that question more concrete.
I’m not saying Jane’s got it all worked out in Tomboy, but
that she is beginning to see she can be comfortable and assertive in dresses
too (so long as there are pockets and no hosiery) and that she may find both
men and women attractive.
What Jane really wants is to be free to be herself, not to be
forced into anyone else’s box. We’ll see as the trilogy continues with Flyboy
how that desire for freedom works for her.
So, if this fits with the definition of gender fluid, I suppose
that’s what Jane is.
4 Comments
Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteLooks great
ReplyDeleteSounds really good
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good!
ReplyDeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.