Accepting vs Understanding, Transgender Aliens and Alienation

Authors

• Reyna G. Aliah, Clark UniversityFollow

Publication Date

Fall 12-19-2025

Document Type

Capstone

Faculty Sponsor

Stephen Levin

First Advisor

Justin Shaw

Degree

English

Course

ENG 290

Major

English

Abstract

Trans people have been the subject of intense discrimination in recent years, suffering dehumanization from right-wing and conservative groups. This dehumanization (and the fear resulting from it) parallels common attitudes in science fiction about actual aliens. Orson Scott Card’s Hierarchy of Foreignness classifies individuals and species into five categories, depending on their sentience; whether they are from the same city, nation, or planet; and whether communication is possible. This paper examines how transgender people can be classified according to this system on a societal level, with said class depending on the lens used to view them as well as the views of the group that observes them. It also claims that true societal acceptance only requires transgender individuals to be viewed as raman (someone recognized as human, but from a different species). In pursuit of this, Card’s Hierarchy of Foreignness is used for classification purposes, as well as compared to already used forms of classification. Close readings of Orson Scott Card’s works are utilized, in addition to contrasting current societal views of transgenderism with past views held by the majority. This paper covers Card’s literary universe, providing a summary of relevant works, before establishing Card’s hierarchy as a valid form of classification, and compares it to current forms of already existing classification. It also discusses the importance of these classifications and their relevance to transgender people's everyday lives, in addition to exploring Card’s use of this hierarchy throughout his series, as well as the ability to move between categories. Lastly, it argues that transgender individuals are currently viewed as inhuman, and should instead be viewed as raman, as well as discussing the real-life consequences of the current state of public opinion. This paper is especially important given recent negative societal views as well as actions taken against transgender individuals due to fear-mongering. It aims to show that, essentially, an ‘other’ does not need to be understood, only accepted.

Keywords

Orson Scott Card, social categorization, dehumanization, alienation, transgender, othering, transphobia, homophobia, outgroup, ingroup, science-fiction

Recommended Citation

Aliah, Reyna G., "Accepting vs Understanding, Transgender Aliens and Alienation" (2025). English. 10.
https://commons.clarku.edu/undergraduate_english/10

Worcester

No

Rights

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.