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Identity In Mary Gray's The Letting Go

910 Words4 Pages

What is identity but the culmination of personal knowledge? This includes knowledge of self, valued others, the world at large, and given the depth of media dissemination in the 21st century, media consumption plays a significant role in understanding one’s identity. However, a dearth of knowledge concerning a particular identity can lead to challenges in identity formation. As Mary Gray (2009) writes, this is problematic for LGBTQ members who are still developing a sense of self in a multitude of ways. While the text focuses on rural youth, it clearly recognizes the challenges faced by the community in multiple regions. Fortunately, digital media have brought not only a new plethora of media, but a new series of platforms through which identifiable …show more content…

This can be seen through the fictional narrative of the Pfefferman family in Transparent (Gray, 2009, p. 1170). The show begins with the protagonist, Mort Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor), coming out to his adult children as a woman, as Maura (“The Letting Go,” 2014). Each child has a different response to this revelation, not all of which are positive. While Maura’s eldest daughter, Sarah (Amy Landekcer) embraces her identity, the son, Josh (Jay Duplass), lashes out in confusion and disappointment (“Wedge,” 2014). The Pfefferman family conflict illustrates the delicate process of “coming out” to valued …show more content…

Gray (2009)’s self-described “in situ” approach to identity formation considers contexts, time and place, and access (Gray, 2009, p. 1168). This emphasizes the real life implications of a show such as Transparent, which lives exclusively on a digital platform—a modern situation in and of itself—and the concept of “queer realness” as the capacity for media to impact the formation of real-world identity (Gray, 2009, p. 1172). The show is not restricted to traditional TV network standards, therefore allowing its creators to promote “LGBTQ visibility” to viewers as they see fit through the characters’ behaviors in a relatable, contemporary setting (Gray, 2009, p.

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