Georgina Kirrin
Encyclopedia
Georgina "George" Kirrin is a fictional character from the Famous Five series of children's adventure novels by Enid Blyton
. Kirrin is a tomboy
, demanding that people call her George, and she cuts her hair very short and dresses like a boy. She is headstrong and courageous by nature and, like her father, scientist Quentin Kirrin, has a hot and fiery temper. Blyton eventually revealed that the character was based on herself.
George has a loyal dog named Timothy (sometimes Timmy or Tim) who'd do anything for her. She often fires up when anyone calls her by her real name or makes fun of Timmy. And she loves it when somebody calls her George or mistakes her for a boy. In Five Get into a Fix, the old woman Mrs. Jones mistakes her for a boy: even though Julian had said to her that she was a girl, she later forgot this. She sometimes takes this to the point of asking that her name be prefixed with Master
instead of Miss
. Various references have been made to what meaning should be read in to this – for instance "I remember reading in my first Famous Five book about a girl called Master George. What a puzzle and thrill. My first literature lesbian and role model."
Yet others have interpreted that Kirrin had gender dysphoria and may have been a transgender
child. It would seem likely to be seen this way by transmen who read the books as children. Several transmen have cited Kirrin as being their role model. Hugo Rifkind
, writing in a Times
supplement, mentioned both these possibilities but considered that Blyton's conservatism meant neither was likely to be intended, as well as citing the follow-up.
In the 2008 series Famous 5: On the Case
, an adult George is married to a car mechanic named Ravi Mischwa, and has a daughter named Jyoti, who prefers to be called Jo, a son named Michael and a son named Sam. George is a botanist and a collector of rare artifacts in the series. She is far less of a tomboy as an adult, possessing a more feminine hairstyle, albeit with a purple streak on one side.
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
. Kirrin is a tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
, demanding that people call her George, and she cuts her hair very short and dresses like a boy. She is headstrong and courageous by nature and, like her father, scientist Quentin Kirrin, has a hot and fiery temper. Blyton eventually revealed that the character was based on herself.
George has a loyal dog named Timothy (sometimes Timmy or Tim) who'd do anything for her. She often fires up when anyone calls her by her real name or makes fun of Timmy. And she loves it when somebody calls her George or mistakes her for a boy. In Five Get into a Fix, the old woman Mrs. Jones mistakes her for a boy: even though Julian had said to her that she was a girl, she later forgot this. She sometimes takes this to the point of asking that her name be prefixed with Master
Master (form of address)
Master is an archaic masculine title or form of address in English.- In English and Welsh society :Master was used in England for men of some rank, especially "free masters" of a trade guild and by any manual worker or servant employee to his employer , but also generally by those lower in status...
instead of Miss
Miss
Miss is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman . Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction...
. Various references have been made to what meaning should be read in to this – for instance "I remember reading in my first Famous Five book about a girl called Master George. What a puzzle and thrill. My first literature lesbian and role model."
Yet others have interpreted that Kirrin had gender dysphoria and may have been a transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
child. It would seem likely to be seen this way by transmen who read the books as children. Several transmen have cited Kirrin as being their role model. Hugo Rifkind
Hugo Rifkind
Hugo Rifkind is a columnist for The Times and The Spectator and the son of MP and former Conservative and Unionist Cabinet Minister, Sir Malcolm Rifkind.-Early life and education:...
, writing in a Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
supplement, mentioned both these possibilities but considered that Blyton's conservatism meant neither was likely to be intended, as well as citing the follow-up.
In the 2008 series Famous 5: On the Case
Famous 5: On the Case
Famous 5: On The Case is an animated television series which is currently broadcast in the United Kingdom, on the Disney Channel. It is a British and French television co-production, loosely based on The Famous Five series of books created by Enid Blyton...
, an adult George is married to a car mechanic named Ravi Mischwa, and has a daughter named Jyoti, who prefers to be called Jo, a son named Michael and a son named Sam. George is a botanist and a collector of rare artifacts in the series. She is far less of a tomboy as an adult, possessing a more feminine hairstyle, albeit with a purple streak on one side.