Uncertain sexes: ambiguity and difference in Herculine Barbin’s autobiography

Authors

  • Izabel Rizzi Mação Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES
  • Davis Moreira Alvim Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo - IFES
  • Alexsandro Rodrigues Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9771/peri.v1i16.42974

Abstract

Adèlaïde Herculine Barbin was a French teacher diagnosed as a “male hermaphrodite” at the age of 21. After having her civil status rectified, she was renamed Abel Barbin. In 1868, already living as a man, Herculine committed suicide. Beside her body, the manuscript entitled My Memories was found, in which she narrated the misfortunes and joys of her brief existence. My Memories indicates that a specific question was insistently addressed to Herculine: what is her real sex? However, she had dismantled this issue somehow. Following Herculine’s autobiography, we draw two lines of investigation. In the first, we followed how European medicine in the late 19th century was obstinate in unraveling the true sex of individuals. In the second, we followed the potential of My Memories to transform the question addressed to Herculine, which presented the sex/gender system with an energetic question: do we really need a real sex?

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Author Biographies

Izabel Rizzi Mação, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES

Mestre pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em História da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (PPGHis/Ufes), doutoranda pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em História da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (PPGHis/Ufes) e bolsista da Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo (FAPES).

Davis Moreira Alvim, Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo - IFES

Doutor em filosofia pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC/SP), professor do ensino médio no Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo (Ifes) e do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ensino de Humanidades do Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo (PPGEH/Ifes).

Alexsandro Rodrigues, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES

Doutor pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (PPGE/Ufes). Professor do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia Institucional da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (PPGPsi/Ufes) e Professor Associado do Centro de Educação da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (CE/Ufes).

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Published

2021-08-16

How to Cite

Rizzi Mação, I., Moreira Alvim, D., & Rodrigues, A. (2021). Uncertain sexes: ambiguity and difference in Herculine Barbin’s autobiography. Revista Periódicus, 1(16), 21–50. https://doi.org/10.9771/peri.v1i16.42974

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 16 (2021): Intersexualidade: desafios de gênero

Section

DOSSIÊ 16 - Intersexualidade: desafios de gênero

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Izabel Rizzi Mação, Davis Moreira Alvim, Alexsandro Rodrigues

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