Queer+and+Lesbian+Literature

__ Themes in the Genre __ Some of the main themes in queer and lesbian literature is the battle within oneself, the struggle with loved ones and society, and the conflict with possible feelings a queer/lesbian person may have for others. Another theme seems to be the possibility of being transgender. Other common themes include Sex/romance, Prejudice/discrimination, and queer/lesbian connections and/or conflicts with religion. __ Mrs Dalloway __ This book is about a day in the life of Mrs. Dalloway. Touching on probable bisexuality, Mrs. Dalloway reflects on a kiss she shared with a woman in the past. Her strong feelings for this woman are shown by her thoughts throughout her day in the book. __ Confessions of a Mask __ This is the story of a young man in a country that has just experienced war, coming into his sexuality. The book shows the different ways this man hides his sexuality. From false relationships with a woman to hiding his sexuality from his loved ones, this book tells the story of a young man afraid to defy the culture and society he is immersed in. __ The Immoralist __ When Michel becomes ill on his honeymoon with his wife and then recovers, he is “reborn.” This rebirth involves pursuing his deep passions, which include homosexuality. This book tells the tale of his journey through self discovery and his pursuit for true happiness. __ Kiss of the Spider Woman __ Two male prisoners briefly become lovers. One is secretly a government informant on the other. Their twisted love story ends with nothing but sadness and pain. __ Running With Scissors __ The tale of a young boy sent to live with his mother’s psychiatrist’s psychotic family. A memoir, this story shows different perspectives of gay and lesbian sexuality. This book demonstrates the importance of loving yourself even when your loved ones don’t. __ Reflective Statement __ We learned that there are books we have read that are considered to be gay and lesbian literature. We also learned that this can be a main part or a small part of a book that is a considered to be gay or lesbian literature, but this part is always meaningful. Genres are not normally something we think about, but we are happy to find that gay and lesbian literature is becoming more popular, because we think this means that the world is accepting gay and lesbian individuals/literature like it should have been all along.

//Critique from the Steampunk Group: Although your synopses of the five books do tell us a little of what is going on, they are extremely brief and might benefit from more detail. Is there a way you could incorporate photos of the books and maybe some interactive links? These things would make the page a lot more interesting.//