Identity and Intersectionality in the Moonlight Film

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Introduction

The issues related to coming of age or entering adulthood have been widely addressed in many texts and other artistic media. The relevance of this issue to audiences of diverse backgrounds is validated by the reference to core psychological, emotional, and social complexities implied in the process of crossing the line between adolescence and adulthood. While this experience might be relatable to a generalized population of all adults, some individuals are exposed to significantly more severe challenges due to the intersectionality of their life circumstances and identity aspects. In particular, Barry Jenkins in his screenplay titled Moonlight refers to the intersectional experiences of a Black homosexual boy becoming an adult in a stereotype-driven society. This paper is designed to answer the following research question: How does intersectionality impact the main character’s path toward his identity finding? Thus, it will be argued that Chiron’s exposure to the atrocities of life and intersectionality causes his confusion about his race-based, sexual, and social identities, which is why he fails to live a happy life in content with his personality.

The Theme of Identity Search on the Background of Fighting Against Stereotypes in Moonlight

The screenplay portrays a Black boy, Chiron, in three stages of his life, namely childhood, when he has the nickname of Little, adolescence, and early adulthood when he is known as Black. The process of his becoming an adult is at the center of the story. However, the events in Chiron’s life are conditioned by his environment, where his mother is a drug addict, and a man who makes friends with him is a drug dealer (Jenkins 31). In addition, the exploration of his place in society and his perception of himself is predetermined by his race since he is an African American in a highly discriminatory stereotyped society. Furthermore, he struggles to determine his sexuality since being gay is perceived as contradictory. Thus, such intersectionality complicates the path of the main character toward adulthood and jeopardizes the clarity of his self-identification.

The first issue that complicated his search for identity was Little’s exposure to the world of drugs, which later determined his activity as a drug dealer. Indeed, in a conversation with Juan, Little learns that drugs are present in the lives of almost all important people in his life. According to the screenplay, Little asks, “Do you sell drugs? Juan’s face is crushed. He nods yes. [Little]And my momma, she do drugs, right? Again, something falls in Juan, hangs his head even lower. A nod yes” (Jenkins 32). Thus, without being exposed to alternative ways of living life and making money, Little forms a worldview in which drug dealing is the most applicable option. Moreover, it is attributed to the Black community as a normative way of living, which leads the discussion to the second point, namely race implications.

Indeed, the second issue relevant to the context in which Chiron searches for his identity is race. According to Thrasher, “a million and a half black men disappeared from American society by early death and incarceration is not a side issue to black gay men, which is certainly no side issue to Chiron” (par. 3). Thus, being Black in a biased society is unjust and dangerous, which the main character learns via first-hand experiences when he is beaten by school bullies (Jenkins 58-59). Thus, racial implications for Chiron’s identity are vast within the context of the story. More importantly, the fact that Chiron was a black teenager who explored homosexuality early in his life made it particularly challenging for him to accept his true self under the pressure of social expectations.

Lastly, the sexuality issue plays a pivotal role in the identity search of the main character in his adulthood. In his childhood, he learns the meaning of the word “faggot” and is told by Juan that there is nothing wrong with being gay (Jenkins 31). In his adulthood, he recalls his first and only homosexual encounter with Kevin, his friend (Jenkins 76-78). Their encounter “was not carried forward because, due to identity policies, in the habitat where they were inserted, in the face of drug trafficking, the heteronormative simulacrum was a survival strategy” (Reiniger Neto 213). Through the recollection of a sexual connection with Kevin, Chiron ties his adult self with his childhood and approaches the understanding of who he is. However, one might understand that Chiron accepts his homosexuality but cannot live truthfully exposing it due to the burden of social perception and judgment.

Conclusion

Chiron’s path through childhood and adolescence to adulthood is a traumatic and challenging experience complicated by the implications of intersectionality. The identity of a young boy in search of his sexual identity and in a struggle with finding his place in life is ambiguous and confusing to him. Thus, the non-disclosure of his true identity due to the conditions of the stereotypical society was a means to survive in a cruel world where being black and gay might be dangerous.

Works Cited

Jenkins, Barry. “Moonlight.” Daily Script, 2016, Web.

Reiniger Neto, Roberto Gustavo. “Moonlight: Intertextuality and its Dialogue with Genetic Criticism in the Contemporary Film Adaptation.” Intercom: Revista Brasileira de Ciências da Comunicação, vol. 44, 2021, pp. 201-214.

Thrasher, Steven W. “Moonlight Portrays Black Gay Life in Its Joy, Sadness and Complexity.” The Guardian, Web.

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Identity and Intersectionality in the Moonlight Film

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