Ilana's CBI

In Chapter 8 of Eva Luna, we learn that Melesio, a childhood friend of Eva's, has undergone physical changes in order to become a woman (on the outside.) We know that Melesio has always had this "dream of being a woman" (Allende 128), however it is not until later in life that Eva crosses paths with Mimi. After removing herself from the mob in Chapter 8, Eva comes across "a woman so beautiful that for a moment [she] thought she was a divine apparition." (Allende 206)

Eva then proceeds to describe who we come to discover is Mimi:

"I stared at her, struck by her beauty, studying the sleek, whippet-like bone structure, the long slim hands, the dramatic eyes, the classic line of the nose and chin." (Allende 206)

In this article, a transgender model named April Ashley is talked about as one of the most prominent LGBT and transgender icons in history. A museum in Liverpool, Britain, was dedicated to Ashley in honor of her transformation and journey. Katherine Brooks, the author of this article, states that "The exhibit traces a timeline beginning with Ashley's tormented childhood, a tumultuous period dominated by intolerant schoolyard bullies, and a young adulthood in harsh psychiatric treatment. Ashley was steadfast in her belief that she was a woman trapped within a male body, and began working in a nightclub in her early 20s to earn enough money for gender reassignment surgery"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/april-ashley_n_4005356.html

In Chapter 8, Mimi tells Eva, "I was born a man, but by mistaken and now I'm a woman." (Allende 207) This connects to April Ashley's story and her adamancy on her belief of being born a woman with a male body.

My CBI brings up a controversial issue of what society thinks of transgender people and sex reassignment surgeries. Many, especially people who are affiliated heavily with the Catholic religion, do not agree with gender reassignment because it goes against God and his creation. However others fight for transgender people and their belief of becoming who they want to be/always have been. My question is, what part do the physical aspects of male/female bodies play with transgender people? Are bodies more important to transgender people?