Essay On Tomboy And MA Vie En Rose

How well do the films do in representing gender complexity?

The film Tomboy tells of the story of Laure, a young girl who found the opportunity to present himself as a boy when their family moved into a new neighbourhood. The complexity of her identity was shown in several ways, such as his family being unaware of her act. When this was revealed to her sister, she made a compromise for her not to tell their parents. When she was with the boys, Laure felt uneasy when they went to the woods to relieve themselves. According to studies, the choice among children to hide their sexual identity is an act based on the information available to them at their young age (Saunders, 2014). In the case of Laure, was forced by his mother to conform to act his birth sex in order to avoid further conflict and confusion.
Ludovic in Ma Vie En Rose wished she is a girl. The film portrayed the complexity of her condition when her father was fired due to her being a transgender. Further, her family was mistreated in the new neighbourhood because after finding out about her being a transgender. The film portrayed how some people cannot accept the fact that there are unfortunate cases when an individual was born in a wrong body.

Are These Children Transgendered? Why or Why not?

Whether Laure in the Tomboy is transgendered child cannot be completely concluded from the film. Their family just moved in to a new neighbourhood and her acting like a boy may just be an act of confusion of growing up. Transgender is a term used to refer to a person whose gender identity, gender expression or behaviour does not conform to their assigned birth (American, 2014). People who are transgender often feel that “they are born into the wrong body” (Intersex, 2008). Ludo on the other hand, is a transgender. She talked clearly about wanting to marry a boy, indicating that she knew early on about her transgendered personality. She is also serious about her insistence that she is girl, despite the threat or ridicule received from the neighbourhood. According to research, there is nothing that people can do about their sexual orientation, “it is something they are born with” (Sexuality, 2001)
Typically, trans identity has been represented within a \'deceiver\' trope or as ridicule and/or pathos in commercial media. Is that the case here? Or do these films break out of these molds? 
Despite the ridicule from the family and the neighborhood, both the Tomboy and Ma Vie en Rose are light film presentation about the gender identity among younger people. The movie did not show any form of violence or force and it focused more on the role of the family in dealing with the child’s gender identity.

Finally, how do the films and/or kids differ in important ways from each other?

The difference between the films was that in Tomboy, Laure was not allowed by her mother to continually act like a boy and the film never showed an indication that the parent ever supported her on that choice. This is in contrast in Ma Vie en Rose, where, despite the initial opposition, the family, especially the parents were made to accept the gender identity of Ludo who finally allowed her to wear skirts.

References

American Psychological Association. Answers to Your Questions About Transgender Individuals and Gender Identity. Retrieved from www.glen.ie
Intersex Society in North America. What’s the Difference Between Being Transgender and Having an Intersex Condition. Retrieved from www.isna.org
Saudners, K. Gender-defined Spaces, Places and Tropes: Contemporary Transgender Representation in Tomboy and Romeos. Journal of European Popular Culture. 2014
Sexuality: Behavior Versus Identity. HIV Counselor Perspectives. 2001. Volume 10 No. 5