The Narrative of Normalcy of Conjoined Twins in the Novel “God’s Fool” by Mark Slouka

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze the attempt to normalize conjoined twins through the narrative of Chang Banker in the novel "God's Fool" (2003) by Mark Slouka, and to criticize the medical discourse that created the negative stereotypes of conjoined twins regarding their way of life and sexual relations. The author created a sense of normalcy for Chang by presenting the relationship between siblings and opposite-sex relationships differently from what appeared in various literary works. That is, the author did not write about the sibling relationship in terms of confinement or limited freedom resulting from their conjoined physical condition, which led one of the twins to be preoccupied with the desire to separate their bodies. Instead, the author presented a close and intimate sibling relationship, as well as positive aspects of being conjoined. Regarding the issue of sexuality, through the analysis of the relationships of Chang and Eng with their wives, the author did not narrate with a focus on sexuality that was often imagined to be immoral. Additionally, the author portrayed the relationship between husband and wife and family members as not different from ordinary people, showing that the conjoined twins' physical condition was not an obstacle or a cause preventing them from living like ordinary people. Therefore, the portrayal of conjoined twins in this novel illustrated the attempt to create a "normalcy" for conjoined twins and to criticize medical discourse on the issue of surgical separation, the undermining of perceptions, beliefs, and the collective understanding of conjoined twins.