Trumpet (1998)

A completely new genre of book after my Partition series but a novel worth analysing. Trumpet, written by the Scottish author Jackie Kay, was published in 1998 by Vintage Books. I read a digital edition on my iPad that adjusted the page count according to the text size but the print version is apparently 278 pages long; it has 36 chapters. The novel tells the story of the late Joss Moody, a black jazz musician (trumpet player), who lives the life of a man (wife and adopted child included) but turns out to have been biologically female*. The discovery of this transgendered life is the starting point of the novel and the conflicts experienced by his wife, son and the world around them make up the novel. It is based on the story of musician Billy Tipton, a real American jazz artist. I will discuss the issues of identity, some gender theory and the style of the novel. 

A major theme in the novel is the construction of identity which is explored in various ways. In terms of heritage, there is a significant discussion on what family means and through whom do we identify ourselves? Colman, the adopted son, knows his biological parents are not the ones he lives with nor does he consider them to be his parents. He does not know who they are so, despite the blood connection, his family and identity are defined through his adopted parents. This is why he is so devastated at the "betrayal" of his female father figure. Arguably the most marked symbol of identity in this novel is one's name. Names are windows into history, choice, biology and/or family. Changing names is something that takes place casually for marriage but also to change gender, to change parents and to share heritage, as in the choice for Colman's first name. How we choose to name ourselves or those around us reveals a lot, for Edith, Joss's mother, never stopped calling Joss by his feminine given name. Racial and national identity are also discussed in the novel, as Joss Moody has a black father and white mother but considers himself Scottish nonetheless. Their adopted son is also of mixed race and is encouraged to respect his Scottish heritage even when living in London. The extent to which identity is given to us or chosen is repeated in terms of racial versus national affiliations as well as in the understanding of sex and gender.

Gender theory in the art world (including the literary domain) is highly relevant in the analysis of this text. The reason for this is that Joss Moody passes as a man simply through two things: dress and behaviour. This supports the argument that gender is a social construct which is created through repeating and repeated behaviours. Conventions for a gender are usually set by social norms and then require to be imitated accordingly. Consequently, the question of gender identity may come down to which conventions one feels like following, although someone who wants "ultimate freedom from society" may try to defy all conventions, a challenge in itself. In any case, there are questions of authenticity and the importance of convention, even when being "unconventional". 

In terms of style, the novel is written from various (subjective) perspectives, and key characters' perspectives are repeated while periphery characters are given just one chapter. Each character engages with the issue (of Joss Moody) in a different manner most relevant to his/her own personal involvement. Kay does not forget to add a media perspective of this ordeal, for which journalist would not be interested in such a "quirky" scoop? Sophie Stones represents the ruthless media industry and a world seeking to take advantage of others for its own gain.The chapters and thoughts are not ordered chronologically. 

Joss Moody, however, is dead from the beginning and so his thoughts elude us; even in conversations that Millie (his wife) could share with us about his revelation, the narrative is cut short. This means that we never really hear his opinion and only know his actions. Other pivotal moments and conversations are also cut short and hidden from the reader, such as that between Coleman (the adopted son) and Edith (Moody's mother). For me, this was somewhat frustrating. It may be justified as unnecessary so that people accept the person and actions without feeling entitled to an explanation or even so that by providing explanations, Kay does not risk limiting the interpretation and desire for such lifestyle changes. However, I think the novel would have been stronger with the reasons embedded in them in order to allow "others" to empathise with such decisions more easily, to make it less abstract. 

Overall, despite the unsympathetic characterisation of Colman, one can understand his shock and frustration in the big picture, even if we do not approve his way of going about it. This novel discusses important issues in relation to personal identity and its affects on people around us. It engages with Freudian theory as well as gender theory to make its point. 

Have you read this novel or another addressing similar issues? What are your thoughts on how LGBTQ+ matters are dealt with in literature? Comments are open! 

* Note/ Disclaimer: I use the terms "female" and "male" to refer to the biological sex (and man/ woman to refer to the gender) and consequently consider Joss Moody to be a "female man" and transgender man (not transsexual) because he never undergoes a physical sex change but adopts another gender by hiding features belonging to females and enhancing male features.