Anatomia do estranhamento

Abstract

Anatomy of Strangeness is the story of a trans man coming to recognize himself. Gael, the protagonist and narrator, becomes the center of a disturbing rumor: people say he has threatened someone’s life. The gossip spreads during a tense family gathering, where every glance feels like a silent accusation. The apartment shrinks, the air thickens — the space itself mirrors his discomfort at being seen and misunderstood.

Amid awkward conversations and the mundane act of ordering pizza, Gael faces echoes of his own image: a phone call where he’s called “sister” but heard as “magnet,” a voice that sounds like his own, a reality that begins to warp. The narrative then breaks from realism and enters the realm of the surreal — Gael runs, pedals, his body stretches and expands, becoming elastic in order to survive the weight of being perceived.

In the end, a repeated gesture — a wave between two figures — transforms from something “ominous” into a moment of recognition. The reflection he once feared becomes a mirror of acceptance.

More than a tale of rumor or delirium, Anatomy of Strangeness is a story about a trans man realizing who he is: confronting the distortions imposed upon him and, through the absurd and the bodily, finding a way to exist. A narrative about identity, reflection, and the quiet resilience of self-recognition.