Custom «Camille’s Use of Euphemism» Essay Paper Sample

The book describes the life of a French girl who was born as a hermaphrodite and the experiences she went through in a society that had a negative attitude towards mixed gender. Euphemism emerges as a strong element that Camille uses to bring her physical descriptions and experiences into light. Thus, by using euphemism she is able to achieve her goal of writing the book.

According to Foucault, hermaphrodites have been in existence since the medieval era, and there were methods used to establish the ‘dominant sex’ of these individuals. Looking at the memoir, it is clear that the main victim sees herself as a villain in the eyes of the society; hence, she subjects herself to unfair moral judgment. As a result, she undergoes major frustration trying to understand the origin of her kind. Hence, she uses euphemism as a way of telling the world that she did not miss a bit of the world’s pleasurable experiences as it may be perceived.

Camille also uses euphemism as a mean of accomplishing self gratification. According to Barbin and Foucault, at the moment her legs were spread, one would perceive a ‘longitudinal groove’ that begins from her/his ‘suprapubic eminence’ while on the upper part a ‘penial body’ existed (16). This detail reveals her will to inform the world that in the center of her biological confusion there was also the capability of arousing human sexual feelings. Thus, she successfully challenges Foucault’s perception regarding the genetic incompatibility of hermaphrodites and the society’s restrictions to a normal life. Indeed, euphemism enables the book to pass its intended meaning in clear fashion to the reader.