EXPLORING INTERSECTIONALITY IN AMERICAN ANDBRITISH FICTION

Abstract

This thesis analyzes representations of transgender and non-binary identities through a transnational,
comparative literary analysis of Girl, Woman, Other by BernardineEvaristo, and Middlesex by Jeffrey
Eugenides. It investigates how the experiences and identities of trans characters in British and American
literature are shaped through the lens of intersectionality, particularly at the intersections of race, class,
gender, and national context. The study pays particular attention to the distinct narrative frameworks
established by each text. Middlesex constructs trans identity within a model that is medicalized, binary,
and biologically deterministic, where gender transition and transformation are normalized as a journey
defined by genetics and sanctioned by institutions. In contrast, Girl, Woman, Other addresses selfdefinition, gender fluidity, and identification, situating trans and non-binary identities within a broader
socio-political post-colonial context. Finally, the close reading of these texts demonstrates that Girl,
Woman, Other promotes disruptive narratives in its representation of marginalized gender identities,
particularly those of Black and working-class individuals, while Middlesex reinforces and engages with a
dominant ideological position in Western narratives that characterize trans identity as white, middleclass, and legitimized by medical establishments.