Projects of possibility : identity and intelligibility in nonbinary middle grade fiction

In the introduction to Undoing Gender, Judith Butler asks: “What maximises the possibilities for a liveable life?” (2004, p. 8). They pose this question in relation to the intelligibility of one’s gender, or the potential of being recognisably human, while subverting normative ideals of gender and personhood. For a life to be possible, it must be intelligible; to be intelligible to others, one must first be intelligible to the self. Yet, intelligibility outside the self does not guarantee societal acceptance, as evidenced by the ongoing denial of transgender rights by conservative governments. Trans and nonbinary children across North America are facing restricted access to bathrooms, sports teams, and gender affirming care. At school, their right to self-determination is ignored, and inclusive education is dismissed. Access to literature that mirrors the trans and nonbinary experience is essential for those whose identities are systemically denied, yet books with 2SLGBTQIA+ content are constantly questioned and condemned. Despite ongoing threats of censorship, trans and nonbinary stories are being published with increasing frequency (Corbett, 2024; Lemon-Scott, 2025a, 2025b). In this thesis, I focus on the intelligibility of nonbinary identities in middle grade fiction. My theoretical framework draws on theories of trans identity (Nagoshi et al., 2020), trans phenomenology (Ahmed, 2006a; Hetterley, 2022; Rubin, 1998) and intelligibility (J. Butler, 2004). In highlighting the dissonances and resonances between the theories, I propose a unique lens through which to identify intelligible identities and liveable lives. I apply this lens to a narratological and phenomenological analysis of three recent middle grade novels to identify if, when, and to whom nonbinary protagonists are rendered intelligible. My narratological analysis interprets the essential, embodied, and constructed elements of nonbinary identities, and is interspersed with phenomenological context. Through personal anecdotes, I relate my reactions and reflections to moments in the texts where my own experiences overlap with those of the protagonists. In doing so, I offer a uniquely nonbinary perspective of the ways intelligible identities create possibilities for liveable lives.