Several androgynous images symbolize Mike’s struggle to understand his sexuality. The most prominent of these is the topiary “merman” that Mike carves out of a shrub:

[M]y masterpiece, liberated from the shapeless clusterfuck of Japanese holly behind the shed, was originally supposed to be a mermaid, in homage to the Little Mermaid. But ultimately, the shrub refused to submit to my artistic vision. One pesky limb in particular thwarted my efforts—one very proud and protruding limb. It was a teachable moment, really. I learned that sometimes it’s better to give in to the thing itself than to fight it. Which is to say, my masterpiece ended up being a merman with an erection (32).

The merman seems to represent the masculine and feminine parts of Mike’s personality. Mike’s character includes some very stereotypically masculine qualities. He enjoys playing fantasy football with his friend Nick, and he responds in a stereotypically masculine manner when employers try to take advantage of him, cursing at them and telling them where to go. His more stereotypically feminine traits come through in his love of topiary art and books.

The story includes other images of gender-blurring or androgyny. For example, Mike’s friend Nick describes

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