I have three rats. Yes, rats. They're great pets, very sweet, clean, and intelligent. And they're super cute, too. I named them after three of my favorite characters from literature: Sherlock (the reference is obvious), Rorschach (from Watchmen), and Atticus (from To Kill A Mockingbird).
Now, I have a question for you. When you read the names Sherlock, Rorschach, and Atticus, did you automatically assume that my rats were all boys? All girls? Perhaps a mix?
Almost every time I've told someone about my rats, they automatically assume that they are boys because of their names. They're not boys, nor are they a mix of boys and girls (I do not want babies!). They are all girls and they answer to each of their names in turn.
What is it about a name that makes us want to attach a gender to it? There is nothing inherently masculine or feminine about the random assortment of letters that creates a name. In fact, my name, Ariel, while feminine in the United States is a man's name in Europe and the Middle East and is a type of detergent in Latin America.
I just think it's a little strange that we go so far to make sure everything is delineated by gender. Clothes are gendered, actions are gendered, names are gendered, hairstyles, activities, television shows, even colors are gendered. What is it that makes us so determined to set roles for the gender binaries? Why are we terrified of transgender or transexual individuals? Why do people insist that the only genders that exist, that are allowed to exist, are male and female? Why are women called 'bitches' for doing the exact same thing a man would be lauded for doing?
Just a thought.
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| Rorschach (left) & Sherlock (right) |
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| Atticus (left) & Sherlock (right) |
One of my favorite books and movies is To Kill a Mocking Bird. It's kind of a statement that you chose Atticus as the name of one of your female rats.
ReplyDeleteIn the story, Atticus is a father and his daughter Scout has some minor struggles with the gender roles and stereotypes that accompany being a girl. I remember how much she hated having to wear a dress to school.
I admit that when I hear the name Atticus, I think of the male in the story. If I had to guess, I would probably think that that rat was a male due to my experience with the name. But, since the story illustrates issues with gender roles and stereotypes, I like that you used the name Atticus, a male's name in the book, for a female rat.
It's amazing how many things we use to differentiate between genders. They even have pacifiers with little mustaches on them. Even when you think about something like shaving razors. I mean don't men and women both want the same results- soft and smooth skin. Yet, an entire store can have a section dedicated to them. My favorite color is lime green, but typically I have pink, purple, or light blue to choose from, while the men have dark blue, black, or grey.
I don't really think the color of a razor improves it's physical use in any way, just like I don't think a name makes anymore physically more male or more female. Yet, people can be so concerned with those types of issues.
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ReplyDeleteOn the gender identity issue, I think it is important to recognize the position we find ourselves in as a society today. We have made tremendous strides from the feudal and industrial societies of recent histories. Society has evolved greatly, I would argue, in social freedom and personal expression. Many modern societies are not bound by orders of a king or religious dictator. Not only are we experiencing all the changes form a patriarchal society (hopefully someday) into an amalgamated society.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to remember all of that especially when we talk about transgender issues. Society is currently experiencing issues that stretch beyond what our forefathers, civil activist legends, or suffragists could have ever imagined. I guess, in sum, I believe that when we begin to help minority populations we will locate unexpected issues that test our resolve and challenge our stance.
As a final note, I like to believe my pets are neutrally named. I have two blue-russian cats, both males, named 'Gumbo' and 'Poster-Nutbag'.