English 265, Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Literature

Fall 2002
Instructor: Vera obin
!""ice #ours: ues$ %&', (us)uehanna '%%*&2'
!""ice +hone: x5&2,6- . E/ail: 0t'%1u/ail$u/d$edu
2s 3e study sa/e&sex desire, ho/oeroticis/, and sexual identity in literature "ro/ the
4enaissance to the 5resent, 3e 3ill be guided by a sle3 o" contro0ersial and o"ten 0exing
)uestions: Is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or other3ise 6)ueer7 literature si/5ly
literature 3ritten by so/eone 3ho identi"ies as gay, "or exa/5le, or does only 3riting
s5eci"ically concerned 3ith sexuality )uali"y8 9an a heterosexual 3riter 5roduce LGB:
literature8 ;hat, "or that /atter, is a 6lesbian,7 6gay,7 or 6bisexual7 5erson8 ;ho
decides8 I" it is 5ri/arily a /atter o" sel"&identi"ication, 3hat does this /ean "or our
reading o" literature about sa/e&sex relationshi5s or by authors 3hose 5ri/ary
attach/ents 3ere to 5eo5le o" the sa/e sex 3hen that literature 3as 3ritten be"ore our
/odern identity categories /ade sense8 2nd, "inally, ho3 and to 3hat degree is LGB:
literature i/5ortantly distinct "ro/ the broader category o" literature, anyho38
2lthough 3e /ay still be "ar "ro/ a consensus on the sub<ect o" 3hat constitutes
6Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Literature,7 by the end o" the se/ester e0eryone in the class
3ill ha0e a /ore thorough understanding o" the 5ossibilities and di""iculties o" these
)uestions o" de"inition, as 3ell as ho3 the literature 3e ha0e read re"lects, de"ies, or
sideste5s 0arious de"initions 3e =or others> /ight suggest$
2s 3e na0igate the thorny boundaries o" this category, 3e 3ill continually exa/ine and
)uestion the relations bet3een sexual desire and literary ex5ression$ In order to 5ursue
these goals, 3e 3ill 3or? to de0elo5 and 5ractice s?ills o" close critical analysis$ his
course 3ill ta?e a s/all sa/5le o" 3or?s "ro/ a range o" 5eriods and contexts and read
the/ both 3ith care"ul attention to the historical and social context in 3hich they 3ere
3ritten, and 3ith an eye to3ard obser0ing and analy@ing recurrent the/es and /oti"s that
e/erge across the 3or?s$
4e)uired texts:
;ilde, !scar$ he I/5ortance o" Being Earnest$
9ather, ;illa$ Aeath 9o/es to the 2rchbisho5$
;ool", Virginia$ !rlando$
Bald3in, Ba/es$ Gio0anniCs 4oo/$
Fry, (te5hen$ he Liar$
9ourse 5ac?etDa0ailable in the textboo? section o" the Earyland Boo? Exchange
4e)uire/ents
he 3ritten 3or? "or this course includes a short 5a5er =F 5ages> and a longer 5a5er =6&,
5ages>, a /idter/, and a "inal exa/$ here is also a grou5 5resentation, 3hich has an
indi0idual 3ritten co/5onent$ +artici5ation in class =3hich o" course entails regular
attendance, as 3ell as thought"ul engage/ent 3ith the sub<ect /atter in discussion>,
)ui@@es, and occasional ho/e3or? assign/ents 3ill also be 5art o" your "inal grade$
For the 5a5ers, you 3ill be gi0en a choice o" suggested to5ics designed to elicit a 3ell&
argued inter5retation o" one o" the texts studied in class$ hese 5a5ers 3ill be argu/ents$
I ex5ect that you 3ill /a?e use o" your ?no3ledge o" 3riting argu/ents as taught in
English %0%$ I" you ha0enCt ta?en English %0% yet, I strongly encourage you to do so
be"ore atte/5ting this class$ +a5ers /ust be ty5ed, sub/itted in class, and 5re5ared in
EL2 style$ Ey grading standards are attached at the bac? o" this docu/ent$
he exa/s 3ill be 5artly ob<ecti0e and 5artly analytical$ Gou 3ill be as?ed to identi"y and
discuss characters and 5assages "ro/ texts and also to 3rite short essays on signi"icant
the/es and issues$ he suggested 5a5er to5ics you recei0e 3ill gi0e you a "eel "or the
?ind o" )uestions I tend to as? "or these /ore extended critical analyses$
he 5resentation has t3o co/5onents$ Gou 3ill sign u5 "or one o" se0en 5resentation
to5ics$ Gou 3ill "irst research the sub<ect inde5endently and 5re5are a short annotated
bibliogra5hy 5resenting that research$ 2"ter3ards, you 3ill 3or? 3ith the other 5eo5le in
your grou5 to 5re5are an in"or/ati0e and 5olished 5resentation "or your "ello3 students$
he bibliogra5hy co/5onent is graded indi0iduallyH the grou5 as a 3hole 3ill recei0e a
<oint grade "or the 5resentation itsel"$
+artici5ation also has t3o co/5onents$ It should go 3ithout saying that you /ust al3ays
do your reading and be 5re5ared to discuss it$ 2l3ays bring assigned texts 3ith you to
class$ #al" o" your 5artici5ation grade 3ill be deter/ined by /y assess/ent o" your
acti0e, intelligent 5artici5ation in class discussion$ Gou should try to s5ea? intelligently at
least t3ice during each class i" you ex5ect to get a good 5artici5ation grade$ Aisru5ti0e or
disres5ect"ul co//ents are o" course not acce5table, and I ex5ect you to obser0e the
a55ro5riate standards o" beha0ior "or the acade/ic setting$
he other hal" o" your class 5artici5ation grade co/es "ro/ any ho/e3or?, )ui@@es, or
in&class assign/ents youCre gi0en$ =2t the end o" the se/ester, I a0erage your total 5oints
against the nu/ber o" )ui@Iho/e3or? 5oints 5ossible to calculate this 5art o" your grade$>
+lease understand that i" you /iss 3or? because o" an unexcused absence, it cannot be
/ade u5$ I" you /iss 3or? due to an excused absence, it is your res5onsibility to see? /e
out to "ind out ho3 that 3or? /ay be /ade u5 Jthe sooner, the better$ I ex5ect that e0en
students 3ho ha0e /issed a class 3ill co/e "ully 5re5ared to 5artici5ate 3hen they next
attend class$
Grade Brea?do3n:

+resentation %0K
(hort 5a5er %5K
Long 5a5er 20K
Eidter/ exa/ %5K
Final exa/ 20K
9lass 5artici5ation 20K
Late ;or? +olicy:
I 3ill not acce5t late ho/e3or?$ I" you ha0e had a 5ro5erly docu/ented, excused
absence, you /ay in)uire about ho3 you /ay /a?e u5 /issed 3or?$ I 3ill allo3 you to
co/5lete an alternate assign/ent "or such 3or? as "easibly can be /ade u5$ his 5rocess
3ill only ta?e 5lace at your re)uest, ho3e0er, and only i" done in a ti/ely "ashion$
!ther3ise, you 3ill lose the 5oints "or the 3or? youC0e /issed$
I" you arri0e late to class and 3e ha0e started =or co/5leted> a )ui@, you 3ill not be
allo3ed to /a?e that )ui@ u5$
I do not generally acce5t late 5a5ers$ I" you "ind yoursel" in a situation 3here you cannot
co/5lete an assign/ent in ti/e, it is best to s5ea? 3ith /e ahead o" ti/e$ In any case,
late 5a5ers are reduced by a "ull letter grade "or each class day they are late$ 2ny 3or?
sub/itted /ore than one 3ee? a"ter the due date 3ill recei0e an auto/atic F$ hat /eans
that uesdayCs 2 5a5er is hursdayCs B, and the "ollo3ing uesdayCs 9$ !n hursday it
beco/es an F$
2cade/ic Integrity:
+lease "a/iliari@e yoursel" 3ith uni0ersity and de5art/ental 5olicy on acade/ic integrity$
4ead the Lni0ersityCs 9ode o" 2cade/ic Integrity$ Be a3are that in addition to
5rohibitions on 5lagiari@ing and the high standards "or 5ro5er ac?no3ledge/ent and
citation o" outside sources, it is also the case that sub/itting the sa/e 5a5er in t3o
di""erent courses 3ithout 5rior a55ro0al o" instructors o" both courses is also a 0iolation
o" the code$
(5ecial 9ircu/stances:
I" you ha0e a registered disability that re)uires acco//odation, 5lease see /e right a3ay$
I" you ha0e a disability but ha0e not yet registered 3ith Aisability (u55ort (er0ices, you
should do so i//ediately$ I" any other s5ecial circu/stances a""ect your 3or? this
se/ester, 5lease let /e ?no3 in 3riting as soon as 5ossible$

Syllabus
Gou are res5onsible "or ?ee5ing u5 3ith any changes, e0en i" you are absent$
u 2 (e5t$ Introduction
(exuality, Genre, and Identity
h ' (e5t$ 4ead: Introductions && 9hloe and !li0ia and
he 9olu/bia 2nthology o" Gay Literature =handout>
he 4enaissance: +o3er and Aesire
u - (e5t$ Earlo3e, Ed3ard II =5ac?et>
h %% (e5t$ Earlo3e, Ed3ard II
u %6 (e5t$ Earlo3e, Ed3ard II
he Lo0e hat Aare Mot (5ea? Its Ma/e
h %* (e5t$ ;ilde, he I/5ortance o" Being Earnest =read in "ull>
u 2' (e5t$ ;ilde, he I/5ortance o" Being Earnest, "urther discussion
+resentation: ;ildeCs sodo/y trials
Eodernist =2&>(exual Lto5ianis/
h 25 (e5t$ 9ather, Aeath 9o/es to the 2rchbisho5
=read +rologue, Boo? %, and Boo? 2>
(edg3ic? in 5ac?et
u '0 (e5t$ 9ather, Aeath 9o/es to the 2rchbisho5 =read Boo?s ' and F>
h 2 !ct$ 9ather, Aeath 9o/es to the 2rchbisho5 =read Boo?s 5 and 6>
+resentation: he 5ri0ate li"e and sexual identity o" ;illa 9ather
u , !ct$ 9ather, Aeath 9o/es to the 2rchbisho5 =read Boo?s ,, *, and ->
h - !ct$ EIAE4E EN2E
Bloo/sbury: Eodernist (exual 2narchy and the +olitics o" Gender +lay
u %F !ct$ ;ool", !rlando =read 9ha5ters % and 2>
h %6 !ct$ ;ool", !rlando =read 9ha5ter '>
Butler in 5ac?et
u 2% !ct$ ;ool", !rlando =read 9ha5ter F>
+resentation: he Bloo/sbury Grou5
h 2' !ct$ ;ool", !rlando =read 9ha5ters 5 and 6>
9hodoro3 in 5ac?et
u 2* !ct$ Aiscussion: +er"or/ing gender in "il/ and issues o" ada5tation$
(#!4 +2+E4 ALE !A2G
h '0 !ct$ 9lass 3ill not /eet$ =2nnotated bibliogra5hies "or the u5co/ing
5resentation are due in /y /ailbox>
u F Mo0$ Bald3in, Gio0anniCs 4oo/ =read +art %>
h 6 Mo0$ Bald3in, Gio0anniCs 4oo/ =read +art 2>
u %% Mo0$ Bald3in, Gio0anniCs 4oo/D"urther discussion
Literature 2"ter (tone3all
h %' Mo0$ 2drienne 4ich =read all but 62% Lo0e +oe/s7>
+resentation: he (tone3all riots
u %* Mo0$ 2drienne 4ich =62% Lo0e +oe/s7>
+resentation: Fe/inis/s and lesbianis/s o" the %-,0s
h 20 Mo0$ Feinberg and ;hite short stories =5ac?et>
+resentation: 2IA( and sexualIcultural 5olitics in the %-*0s
u 25 Mo0$ B2
h 2, Mo0$ Mo class J han?sgi0ing holiday
u 2 Aec$ Fry, he Liar =read through 5age -0>
h F Aec$ Fry, he Liar =read through 5age %,0>
u - Aec$ Fry, he Liar =read to end>
h %% Aec$ ;ra5u5, re0ie3, discussion$