Characters such as Avery, (a transgendered youth) adds a face to the concept of gender identity. He is a young man who was assigned the gender “female” at birth. As he grew up he disagreed with the body he was born into and made the choice to transition early. He is a perfect example of gender identity, and how it relates to personal biographies. Avery decided to take the script of being labeled “female” and resist it. He then actively modified his script to reflect his choice to live as a man. In the following quotation we can see how Avery resists his script and modifies it for himself. “With his parents’ help and blessing, if not always comprehension, Avery charted a new life, was driven many miles – not to dance or drink, but to get the…show more content… The ideal standard of beauty is investigated in many ways. We see that muscular, strong bodies are regarded as attractive and desirable. The Adonis Complex can specifically be explored within this novel. The Adonis Complex is the acknowledgement that men also face body image issues. These include the pressure of the V shape, excessive weight lifting, eating disorders, steroid abuse and full-blown body dysmorphic disorder. This issue arose when women gained power (entered the work force etc). The Adonis Complex was the creation of hyper-masculinity to combat ‘powerful womanhood’ and the ‘crisis of masculinity’. Its importance lies in the conclusion that masculinity depends upon the inferiority of femininity and that masculinity absolutely needs to maintain this hierarchy to be viewed as legitimate (Stanfield, Bodies and Beauty,…show more content… Another illustration follows: “Every Holister model that calls out to you, every voice in your head that tells you abs need ‘definition’ every ounce of the Abercrombie myth can be traced to Marky Mark. Whether you subscribe to these ideals or reject them, they are the unrealistic standard you must face. Its what’s being sold to you (Levithan 149). The ad campaign that is being addressed is the Calvin Klein underwear catalog cover that exploded in the 1990’s. The standard of beauty in this quote deeply links body image to social pressure. We, as human beings, are products of our environment. To better understand the connection to the Adonis Complex we must look at the 1990’s as a decade. Women were increasing their role in the work force as well as their involvement in higher education. The triggered the phenomenon known in the Adonis Complex, a crisis in masculinity. These previously gendered places of work and college were once places that made men “men”. When they became un-gendered arenas hyper-masculinity happened in response. This is reflected in men’s fashion at the time, and in the Calvin Klein issue that is so infamous of this era. When Harry’s shirt must be cut off he is prompted to think critically about how his body is shamed and his
