There’s something really poetic and wonderful I think about the infinity train crew pairing the character who is widely agreed to be a blatant trans allegory with a character who has struggled with toxic masculinity.
I wouldn’t say it’s the largest part of Jesse’s arc or his primary struggle, but elements of it are definitely present with the whole “man test” he put Nate through.
And while I think more broadly Jesse and Lake’s arcs are both so much more complex and have so many more elements than this, I do think it’s rather interesting how much a queer/trans reading adds to book 2. Lake who fights society’s rigid expectations at every turn vs Jesse who conforms to them.
Something something foils and reflections
