We are born with zero knowledge and for a split second with are full of love and oblivious to the hate that exists in our world. However, we are quickly taught what it means to be a woman or a man, what it means to have different sexual desires, etc. Our friends, our families, our schools, our cultures, and our governments teach us these things. Unconsciously, these teachings become our beliefs and they help us navigate our lives.
All these mediums of knowledge are infected by the idea of patriarchy, which is “a political-social system that insist that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed week, especially females” (CITE). Patriarchy teaches us that heterosexuality is the norm; we are taught that everyone is heterosexual until proven otherwise. Nonetheless, throughout the decades exploring one’s sexuality and making it public is becoming more acceptable. Societies are slowly allowing people to grow up in a space to explore their sexuality without being told that we are heterosexual and this is because lately more fictional texts have been exploring this topic and challenging the idea of heteronormativity.
Fictional texts, such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Middlesex are implicitly giving reasons of why heteronormativity is an idea that should be rejected. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood challenges the idea of heteronormativity by proposing a dystopia where patriarchy has taken control. Atwood speculates in this novel that if we continue allowing patriarchy to form our beliefs the results will detrimental to society. Similarly, the novel Middlesex implicitly demonstrates that being forced into heteronormativity can be harmful for the well-being of a person and society should allow everyone to discover their own sexuality without any judgement.
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In a superficial level, the novel The Handmaid’s tale seems to advocate for heteronormativity. The dystopia that Atwood creates does not allow for any homosexual couples and people are punished for going outside the norm. Anyone that falls outside the heteronormative get sent to the Colonies and are punished for being ‘different.’ However, in a deeper level the novel foreshadows what would happen to our world if we stay with the retrograde idea of heteronormativity. Atwood makes the reader reflect on our current society and points out that we should move away from the patriarchal system that we currently live in.
Heteronormativity has damaged everyone in this society. For instance, Offred explains how “I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it is shameful or immodest but because I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely” (Page 72). Heteronormative, gender norms, and objectification have a deep psychological level on women, which prevents them from expressing themselves and discovering their sexuality.
The dystopia that is created in The Handmaid’s Tale only allows for marital and sexual relations between people of opposite sexes, because they believe that the sole purpose for sexual relations is for reproduction. It is clear that none of this sexual interactions or marriages have the component of love. The marriage between Serena Joy and The Commander is more of a convenience relation and the norm tells them that this is the way it is suppose to be. What is happening in this dystopia is clearly erroneous; people follow rules, but are not actually living and feeling love. Several subgroups in this society admit that heteronormativity should not be the norm and everyone should be allow to make their own decisions.
Therefore, the creations of several underground organizations highlight the resistance to heteronormativity. Many handmaids are involved in these organizations; however, they are precautious that no one will find out. This points out that for most people heterosexuality is a strategy for survival. To conclude, Atwood uses this novel to express the dangers of heteronormative gender roles by creating a dystopia where people repressed their feelings in order to survive and this creates a several subgroups that are unhappy with the system. Hence, the novel proposes the idea that in order to avoid conflict in societies everyone should move away from heteronormative.
Similar, the novel Middlesex implicitly challenges the idea of heteronormativity. Cal’s birth is a pivotal point in the story, as it shows how the doctor’s belief on heteronormativity changed Cal’s live QUOTES. When he was born the doctors quickly assumed that Cal was a female, because what other option could there be? The doctors had the culture and belief that they had developed from their society that they are only two distinct and complementary genders (man and woman). This belief clouded their medical judgement and Cal was born as a girl.
This decision made by the doctors had serious consequences while Cal was growing up. He had a hard time figuring out what he was and he felt he did not belong in any group. Cal’s journey of discovery was hard and throughout the process, he lost close relations with his family and friends. Cal’s coming of age novel highlights the idea that if society was not so fixated in heteronormativity, people that do not identify themselves as male or female would be able to grow and have the same opportunities as them.
However, because society does not allow them the space and time to discover themselves they are forced to repress their feelings and this can serious repercussions. Finally, Eugenides accomplishes to show that in a society that heterosexuality is the norm, people that do not identify as this are going through unnecessary struggles and is our job as society to made them feel part of us.
Overall, both of these novels challenge the idea of heteronormativity. Both point out that when societies are so fixated in their retrograded ideas about marriage between opposite sexes the result is the destruction of society. People are limited by the patriarchal system and human potential is not exploited. Throughout both novels, the authors clear exaggerate the problems in heteronormativity; however, it takes their point across: society should deviate from this norm and once we do, we will be able to grow as human beings.
