Transgender Identity

The dominant theme of the novel, and certainly its most-unique theme, concerns the trans-gender identity of the narrator. Born a girl the narrator is raised as an orphaned girl until the early teen years. Thereafter she is transformed into a boy—socially—by Myrddin her new master. The transition is accomplished by cutting her hair short, dirtying her face, and putting her into boys' clothing. Presented as a boy, she is accepted as a boy and spends the next few years being a boy. In the novel, there are no complications to this and she is never discovered or even suspected. During this time the narrator develops a sort of homo-erotic attraction for another boy which is not reciprocated but simultaneously is not rebuffed. After this period, the narrator is again transformed by Myrddin into a girl. This is accomplished by growing out her hair...