X: a Fabulous Child's Story

Louis Gould's "X: A Fabulous Child's Story," is a tale about a child named X. In this tale, a group of scientists find fit parents to raise this new baby X. In this, the scientists will be able to see what would happen if the parents were to fail in training their child to conform to conventional gender stereotypes and expectations. This child X would be nurtured with the standards of the Official Instruction Manual and will be referred to as no other name but X. The identity, whether or not it is a boy or girl will also never be revealed which begins to aggravate their friends and family. Both of the parents bounced and cuddled their child. They bought toys and clothes for both boys and girls in hopes X would be strong and robust as well as kind and gentle. X was taught to play with dolls and house as well as to catch a ball and play with trucks. When it was time for X to attend school it was dressed in neutral red and white checkered overalls with neither of the buttons facing toward the right for girls or the left for boys. Academically and athletically gifted, X has a great time at school. The teachers are aware of the situation and help X the best they can. X excels in activities suited for both boys and girls and takes pleasure in each activity he pursues. The other students begin to notice that X is having doubled the fun and the boys begin to play with carriages, while the girls swing off the monkey bars. This begins to aggravate many parents and they forbid their children to play with X, however the children are very defiant and refuse to reform to their old habits. The parents eventually get the school involved and convince the administrators that X must be tested by the school psychiatrist. After close observation the psychiatrist concluded that X was the least "mixed-up" child that he had ever dealt with and that he had no identity problem at all. This article exemplifies how our ideas of how people should behave and act are due