Analysation and interpretation of “Frida Boyelski`s Shiva”
What is your gender? Is it what is on your birth certificate or driver’s license? Is it non-binary, undefinable maybe even non-existent? You don’t choose to be a boy or a girl nor do you choose your sexuality. Whether is nature or nurture who decides these things, it is out of our control. Transgenderism is a globally discussed topic, and everyone has their opinion on it.
Abigail Ulman tells the story of misunderstood Ruthie Boyelski in her short story Frida Boyelski`s Shiva from 2016. The story also talks about different topics besides transgenderism like religion, parents’ expectations regarding their children, being transgender and gender stereotypes. In this essay I will focus on the structure of the text and the relationship between the mother and daughter but first a short summary to enumerate.
In the beginning of the short story Ruthie tells her Mother, Frida, that she wants to be a boy. Afterwards Ruthie decides to sleepover at her friends Leah`s, house and the mother begins her Shiva. The mother has different guests over each day of her seven-day Shiva. Ruthie or Rafael Boyelski returns on the seventh and final day.
Frist things first, structure. The structure of the short story follows a chronological timeline. This is most evident in the fact that the story is built around the Jewish tradition “shiva” which is the Jewish mourning period of when a first-degree relative die. No one actually dies in the short story but it’s the symbolic or metaphorical death of Ruthie the title alludes to. The narrative also uses flashbacks as a tool to give a more in depth look at their relationship and it gives background story of their relationship this comes in the form of Frida reminiscing about the earlier stages of Ruthies´ life.
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