Intersectional narratological analysis of Torrey Peters’ Detransition, Baby

Abstract

This thesis applies the concept of intersectionality, a relatively underexplored framework in literary analysis, to Torrey Peters’ novel Detransition, Baby (2021). Through the lens of intersectional narratology, it examines the complex identities and queer kinship relationships of the novel’s characters, focusing on how they are both expressed in and reflected through the form of the novel. The thesis includes an introduction that contextualizes the novel and identifies a research gap. This is followed by a literature review that covers identity, gender, transgender identity, intersectionality, queer kinship, and the methodology of intersectional narratology. The analysis is divided into five subchapters, each discussing various formal and thematic narrative elements and how they express intersectional identities and queer kinship within the text. The conclusion summarizes the main findings of the thesis. Keywords: Intersectionality, intersectional narratology, identity, queer kinship