A comment from ‘kisichka’ concerning my October 19 post has spurred some thoughts.
Though I refrain from replicating plots and themes, there appears in many stories a neutered male, oft times as a tangential character (so many times I cannot count).
Kisichka inquires whether I have ever met a castrated male and I replied in the negative. But by inference there is the question as to why so often an appearance of such an asexual luminary?
To my recollection the first plot involving a castrated character was ‘A Gift From James’. I had not read too much/too many published D/s erotica stories involving castration. The Eunuch Archive was rife (and continues to be), but there one finds more gore than sexually arousing theme. Yet the shear number of members and the size of the collective narrative output suggested a demand, at the time, and that something was missing from available erotica.
So I wrote ‘Gift’ and Pink Flamingo brazenly published it, somewhat breaking ground on a subject matter from which many publishers shied. In that story the hapless, infatuated subjugated male agrees to present his testicles to his perceived superior. (Bear with me if this is a woefully brief synopsis, it’s been a long time since I read it.)
What more can a lover offer his mate than a life of loyalty and devotion, obviating all future ability to attract and make love to another woman? Hopefully the poignancy filtered through, but I do have trouble writing romance so I am sure others could do better.
In later efforts, I have used a hermaphroditic character to add what I term ‘spice’. I always imagine the dominant woman reader feels empowered in mentally confronting a once male figure which is sexually comprised and physically weakened (especially at the hands of a woman, of course). And the male reader... horrified... frightened... enraged... perhaps feeling his psychic armor impinged in realizing what little separates his life of virility from one of ‘uselessness’ in terms of the ability to continue pleasing himself.
Hormones so much affect our behavior. Read of the effects of depo provera on the male (aka chemical castration, over time the substance terminates testosterone production in both the testes and the adrenal glands... a wipe out). Obviously it results in lowered sexual desire, but also brings general docility, weight gain, loss of body hair, the growing of breasts. Such luscious fodder for the writing mill!
And the ease of physical castration makes the fantasy so ironic. If memory serves I believe in the movie ‘QB VII’, based on the Leon Uris novel, there is reference to a Nazi doctor who performed castrations and perfected the process to require mere minutes. A fictional account yes, but such graphic imagery of an assembly line leading to feminized males... the most prized male organs mechanically harvested like fruit.
So, kisichka, how could/can I resist!
There is also the perceived attachment element. Admittedly fantasy on my part, the dominant female who castrates comes to be adored by he who has surrendered his balls. Probably an exaggerated extension of our childhood... forced trips to the dentist and/or doctor during which the matronly control figure gently chides... ‘it is best for you... you will feel better... it is the right thing to do... medicine tastes bad but will make things better.’
And so it is for my imaginary victims of orchiectomy. The altered become better mates in becoming more easily controlled, less aggressive, more caring, offer more than take, become physically more appealing (soft and hairless) to she who so much enjoys sexual power. He comes to understand that the dominant woman has acted on his behalf, made him a more loyal and attentive lover.
Indeed... it is for the best. Some simple snips... such meaningful and, in the end, acceptable change.
Love to get feedback on this.
Also, there seems to be a conflict in my research. Some articles suggest that if discontinued, the effect of depo provera can be reversed. Others suggest that with long term, constant dosage, the male is permanently feminized. Any thoughts?
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3 comments:
Dear Chris,
The reason I asked you that question was my interest in transgenderism. I have some professional knowledge of the topic discussed, and I found it really amazing that you were able to portrait some of the characters so accurately without actually seeing their prototypes in real life. The thing is, there are young males with confused gender identity. Often times it may be the sign of certain mutation that made their bodies and brains partially resistant to androgens (male hormones). The degrees of androgen insensitivity may vary from complete to partial to mild. In case of complete insensitivity the affected person with male genotype (46XY) looks like a woman, perceives herself as a woman and under no circumstances can be masculinised. In that respect she is more feminine than a regular woman with 2 X-chromosomes. To be sure, she doesn't have a uterus and doesn't menstruate, and has very scant if any pubic and axillary hair. But she feels herself being female through and through.
In case of partial insensitivity there may by varying degrees of feminization. In case of mild insensitivity the affected person may look like male but, his brain being somewhat insensitive to male hormone, he may be relatilely easily coaxed in giving up his masculinity.
And now, coming back to your novels, it seems to me that your dominant heroines intuitively sensed exactly that type of men that so easily are turned into effeminate eunuch servants.
I have a suggestion that you sometime write a sequel to one of yor novels where their feminizaton is complete and they themselves become the hunters for prospective eunuchs. Actually, you already made a hint of this in "Ms. Elizabeth's captive". Am I wrong?
kisichka,
Sorry if I misinterpreted or incorrectly assumed the intent of your comment.
I am vaguely familiar with the condition you describe, that in which nature's roll of the genetic dice has left a person in a state of unfortunate gender confusion. Since I write fantasy I try to refrain from in any way casting dispersions on real life situations.
In 'Miss Elizabeth' my intent with the character of 'Jamie' was really to engage in some sardonic interaction with homophobia, thus entertaining the female reader (you'd be amazed at how many otherwise vanilla women are enthralled with the notion of reluctant male/male interaction) and bringing amusing discomfort to the male reader.
It's been awhile since I wrote Miss Elizabeth so I cannot comment with more specificity. But as with many of my dominant female characters, Elizabeth is wise, matronly in her knowledge and ways... more aware of male needs and wants than the male. Thus in handling Sam she is always one step ahead, adding to the frustration of the hapless male character. She's the mother who not only knows of a young son's furtive masturbation but knows exactly how to curtail it.
Your suggestion for a sequel is well advised but does not coincide with the economics of publishing erotica. Though i have written some stuff which should be read in sequence (Lady Constance - Constancia Island.... Gift From James - About Eve.... Penance Corp. trilogy) Liz at Pink Flamingo has had past problems selling sequels and prefers that each story stand on its own. Thus I rarely write with sequels in mind.
Turning the likes of the cute and effeminate Jamie into a predator would be a literary challenge if I correctly recall all the aspects of his/her character. But I appreciate and understand the gist of your point and will add it to the fuel supply which stokes the boiler of this flaming aberrant mind.
Dear Chris,
I agree with your opinion on the Eunuch archive; castration is a great story element when it is used to accentuate the D/S relationship in the story; unfortunately, so many castration stories involve "gross-out" factors, pseudo-cannibalism, etc. Completely unarousing.
Your post reminded me of some of the more odd medical issues of castration. I read a rare book on Chinese eunuchs in my college library, and what was most interesting was apparently the large difference between pre- and post-pubescent castration.
According to the book, when puberty occurs, the testicles start the testosterone production, which in turn signals the secondary testosterone from the adrenal glands. Therefore, if a post-pubescent male is castrated, the effect is minimized, since the glands continue to produce some testosterone. But if the testicles are removed before puberty, the adrenal glands never start, and therefore the production of testosterone is almost completely eliminated.
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