I will start out by again mentioning that I greatly preferred "Bull" to "Cock." It was a combination of things - Bull was a far more likable character than Carol, and the sexuality of the piece was a bit less in your face than in "Cock." Clearly, the sexuality is still present, but it isn't quite as obsessive like Carol's. It's more sensitive, because, while Carol becomes more masculine and powerful with her new body part, Bull becomes more feminine and sensitive with his. This, for whatever reason, made him far easier to sympathize with, which made the piece more enjoyable.
In the article we read, a line on page 122 stood out to me. It says, "There is nothing like rubbing shoulders with the forbidden for it to lose its totemic power." This line is interesting because it's so true. Things are taboo in a culture because the people of that culture are not accustomed to them. But the more someone spends time with a taboo thing or idea, the less taboo it becomes. Americans object to the idea of eating horse and dog, but in many cultures, it is as normal (or more normal) than chicken, cow, or pig. These books are like this too. They're strange and uncomfortable at first, but the further one reads, and the more books like these one reads, the less weird it becomes. It's simply desensitizing. Funny, to think about how different the world would be if everyone understood than and accepted more.
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