Transgendering in The Monk

In Brewer’s article he brought up some points I had never thought of while reading The Monk. He brings up how Matilda could have been human or she could have been a daemon. I do agree with him that Matilda was a human. When I was reading I just assumed she was human. It never even crossed my mind that she could be a daemon. I mean yea she was very manipulative and worked with the devil, but I just assumed she was like a devil worshiper or something. I guess she could have been a daemon, but it is mentioned that she paid the price for being healed from the snake poison. I just assumed this meant she sold her soul to the devil. She also says at the end of the book that she made a deal with the devil. These things say to me that she is human and had a soul. Brewer agrees that she is a human. He says, “Overall, the novel presents Matilda as human, as a free agent rather than the Devil’s passive instrument.” (pg 196) I do not think Matilda was just an instrument in the Devil’s plan. I think that her motives came from her. Yes she was evil, but I think the Devil just used her actions to help further his plan of tempting Ambrosio. I do not think that the Devil forced her to do any of the underhanded evil things she did.
Now moving to how Brewer feels about Ambrosio. Brewer states in his article, ”Ambrosio’s preference for a feminine male over a masculine woman can, of course, be seen as an indication of latent homosexuality.” (pg 198) I do not agree with this statement at all. I think Ambrosio is very heterosexual. This can be seen by his obvious obsession for women and sex. When he sees Matilda’s breast he is immediately excited and knows that he wants her. When he sees Antonia in the magical mirror and she is naked he needs to have her. He goes so far as to go against his vows as a monk and everything he believes to be with Matilda. Then he rapes Antonia. This does not seem homosexual at all to me. Brewers reason of him liking Matilda more when she is Rosario and the meek little boy instead of the strong, bossy woman just says to me that he wants to be in charge. This is seen by his raping of Antonia. He needs to feel that power. He does not like Rosario because he thinks Rosario is a boy, he likes Rosario because he feels he can control him. Matilda is beyond his control. Matilda’s whole personality seems to change when she changes from Rosario to Matilda. I think this is what Ambrosio does not like. Ambrosio has that weird obsession or fantasy that some if not most men have, of wanting to be with a girl who is seen as “innocent”. This is one of the reasons he likes Antonia so much. I mean he tried to rape her and she just got over it. She was portrayed to him as being very naïve and he liked that. I don’t think he liked that Matilda wasn’t that same naïve creature she seemed to be when she was Rosario and that is why Ambrosio no longer wanted to be with her. I do not see how Ambrosio can be considered homosexual at all, give is very heterosexual tendencies.