It is easy to see Alice Marcone’s Nationality tag as the sign of her success in marketing herself. However, it is also easy to see how such a sales-orientated world can erode identity. Identity is one of the most precious metals in our world; and as we come into the twenty-first century it will be even more precious. The creation of ‘identity politics’ has defined much of our political process, and indeed much of our culture, but when one talks about Alice Marcone and Nationality, we should ask if that’s the right way to talk of a woman who has grown up around other nationality and nationalities, and even those with different heights, weights, and personal sizes.
A quick perusal of her resume will reveal much about her personal relationship with Nationality. For instance, did she marry a man from France (a French national) or was it a matter of servitude? Was she a virtual housewife during her husband’s months off working abroad, or was she an active, caring wife who raised their children as well as working? Her answer to the latter question shows much about how she saw her role in life: as a ‘man’. Had she been more honest, perhaps she would have been a loving wife who supported her husband, cooked his meals, and made sure his bed was clean every night; but Nationality was not an option for Alice Marcone and as far as her career goes, it may have been too dangerous a lifestyle.
In this light, does Alice Marcone represent the success and the beauty of being a ‘woman’ in a duality of identities? Her passport and ID cards read as though she is still very much a ‘woman’ with citizenship and an identity of a ‘woman’. But, as she puts it, ‘My own identification is that of a ‘woman’ – yet my real birth is that of a man.’ And yet, as the identity of a ‘woman’ is neither male nor female, does this identity belong to Alice Marcone?