Reading the article about the movie "Freaks" drew a lot of parallels to the novels we've already read. Immediately I was reminded of Fevvers when the article described Cleopatra. The ambiguous gender of the performer as well as her gargantuan stature were what reminded me of Fevvers most. I was also reminded of Olympia when the article described Hans. They both were treated more or less as servants by someone they loved, and they were both infantalized instead of sexualized, despite being adults. Hans was treated as a child by Cleo, even at their wedding; and Olympia was impregnated not through sex but with Chick's powers.
Gender theories seem to be very important to the concept of freaks and geeks. People having ambiguous gender or challenging gender roles seems to leave people feeling unsettled, one of the main characteristics of the grotesque. Also abnormal sexuality is an unsettling phenomenon used to "freak" people out. Childlike actors acting as adults, or adults being child-like in nature despite participating in adult activities (i.e. sex) are a recurring theme in what we've read.
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