Pregnancy
The motif of pregnancy is present throughout The Argonauts. Nelson explores her own pregnancy through various channels: physical, metaphorical, philosophical, and intellectual. She ponders what it means to be a mother in the context of her own writing and her sexuality, noting the way in which her pregnancy prohibits and enables new forms of physical and intellectual self-expression. Pregnancy, and motherhood overall, are not a burden to Nelson, but she acknowledges the way that they fundamentally change her personhood in light of her creation of another human being.
T (Testosterone)
Nelson uses the moniker 'T' to refer to the daily testosterone shots that her partner, Harry Dodge, takes as part of his gender transition. To Nelson, T becomes a sort of physical manifestation of the fluidity of her partner's gender expression, denoting his masculine transformation and the hormonal changes that it engenders. T also comes to symbolize the fluid nature of gender itself, exposing the ways in which gender transforms and changes throughout our lives. T serves as both an internal and external agent of change, giving Harry a more masculine appearance while also changing his biochemistry and giving him new feelings and traits that Nelson welcomes and analyzes in her book.
Making the Private Public
Nelson discusses throughout her book the process of 'making the private public.' To Nelson, this process involves communicating personal experiences through the medium of her writing, thereby sharing the intimate details of her life with the public sphere. She critiques this process but nevertheless persists in this opening up of her life to public judgment.
De-stigmatizing The Sexuality of Older Women
Nelson often shares the details of her sexual experiences in The Argonauts, while also bringing in many academics who likewise explore the sexuality of older women from both a theoretical and personal perspective. She shares these details and argues that the sexuality of women over the age that society deems appropriate should be celebrated, not shunned.
Step-Parenthood
In The Argonauts, Nelson explores the various social stigmata of step-parenting and the difficulties she faces as a stepparent herself. She dissects the challenges of loving her stepson as her own while also maintaining her awareness of the way he may be processing his family dynamics as he grows up. She takes a measured approach, reflecting on the successes and failures of her own relationship with her stepfather.
