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The Brenda/David Reimer Case:. Colapinto’s As Nature Made Him Rhet 3108. Nova: “ Sex: Unknown”. How does the “twins case” become a medical debate? What numerous issues does it seem to shed light on? What does Janet write to Money and how are these letters used by Money?
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The Brenda/David Reimer Case: Colapinto’s As Nature Made Him Rhet 3108
Nova: “Sex: Unknown” • How does the “twins case” become a medical debate? What numerous issues does it seem to shed light on? • What does Janet write to Money and how are these letters used by Money? • What did the rest of the scientific community believe about the Reimer case? • Why did the scientists not question it? • Why were Gorski’s studies of the hypothalamus region of rats inconclusive? • How might Swaab’s transexual brain study be more promising? Why was it inconclusive? • What purpose does Fausto-Sterling serve in the video? • How does the video represent Money and his work?
Colapinto’s As Nature Made Him • What are the signs that mark Colapinto’s book as a journalistic investigation? • How is David Reimer described in the second paragraph of the preface? • Why might David use the 2nd-person pronoun (you) when talking of his life as Brenda? • What is the purpose of each character’s backstory? How are Janet and Ron represented? • How is Money represented? • What was the psychological and emotional assessment of Bruce’s future before surgery (page 15-16)?
Passages to Consider • Ethics and experimentation – page 67 • Zuger’s homosexuality study – page 73 • Gender as identity – page 81 • “Enforcing gender identity” – page 83, 86 • Brenda’s trauma as a girl – page 123 • Cantor’s assessment of “dismal failure” – page 143 • Brenda staging/performing her identity – page 148 • Brenda’s two dreams of Money – page 153 • Money’s use of pornography in medical education – page 156 • Freud’s Oedipus complex – page 158-60
What are the milestones of Brenda’s transformation into David? What do they signify? How are they milestones? Clothes, confession to Winter, name, phalloplasties, dating, etc. • How does the book address the various ways people sought to “protect” or “care for” Brenda/David? BBC documentary, his suicide attempt, etc. • What is the purpose in the discussion of the intersex movement and their work to change medical protocols? • What impression does the book give us of the intersexed woman Paula? • What is ironic about Money’s dissertation topic?