Melissa

    George is able to make readers empathize with those experiencing dysphoria regarding their gender. The manner in which Alex Gino describes Melissa’s dysphoria encapsulates the shared experience of those dealing with this perception of themselves. When Melissa’s teacher says that she will make a fine young man, Melissa’s discomfort is described as: “The word man hit like a pile of rocks falling on George’s skull. It was a hundred times worse than boy, and she couldn’t breathe. She bit her lip fiercely and felt fresh tears pounding against her eyes. She put her head down on her desk and wished she were invisible” (Gino 16). Hearing someone call her “man” or “boy” provokes her emotions and causes her to experience anxiety. The way that Gino describes it as “a pile of rocks falling on George’s skull,” is such a descriptive way to describe the dysphoria that she feels to someone who otherwise would not understand. Gino is a non-binary author and can draw from their own experiences in terms of gender and not feeling confined to the sex they were assigned at birth.
    Another scene that really stuck out to me while reading was when she was taking a bath and notices her penis in between her legs, “She immersed her body in the warm water and tried not to think about what was between her legs, but there it was, bobbing in front of her” (Gino 44). This clearly depicts how much she does not feel at home in her own body. She sees her manly parts from a sort of outside perspective, knowing that she is a girl on the inside, and that is what counts.