Queer literature can speak quite directly to contemporary issues in our core heteronormative culture today. Issues such as stereotypes and gender roles can be road blocks for those trying to queer the world we live in. Red Durkin is one of these writers, he writes a short story that, while not long, gives a plethora of examples or breaking the norm of today. A Roman Incident opens with a seemingly pointless fact, stating that the “average human stomach can hold up to 10 pounds of food before it begins to tear.” This seems meaningless until the short story is read further. The prologue foreshadows to dreaming big is going to be the main focus or a least a big part of the rest of the story. Just from the beginning intro we can now that this will most likely be about food and dreaming bigger then reality says we can. After the brief introduction the characters and setting are set up for the reader. Right away the reader is given a picture of a highly competitive eating contest with contestants who, “made their living rushing down enough food to kill civilians.” A usual gender role is also immediately broken with Charlie, the main character, being a girl. Girls don’t usually join eating contests, they…show more content… She was hit with a massive amount of excitement from the surrounding crowd. As she continues to devour her chicken wing her thoughts start to wander to other things. The contest is run by Hooters, and the score cards are held by a woman who is dressed minimally. Charlies thinks that this woman is fake almost along the lines of disgusting. As the reader we do not know much about the woman, therefore one could say that this hatred by Charlie is driven by the woman’s beauty and that the woman could very possibly be happy, but this seems too much to bear and Charlie plays it off as a woman who is faking and full of lies and hate on the inside. Another stereotype of beautiful women, they can never truly
