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Sexuality in literature
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The Lack of an Identity Suicidal, cynical, and promiscuous are some of the adjectives that some readers can use to describe the recurring character Sean in the book Rules of Attraction written by Bret Easton Ellis. Over the course of the novel, Sean develops an attraction to Lauren, one of the other main characters in the novel, and he tells some remarks about having sex with other women. From his own narration of the story, readers cannot imagine that he also dates men. Paul, one of the other main narrators, brings in question Sean’s heterosexuality by stating that he is involved in a sexual relationship with Sean. Sean does not regard those encounters whatsoever, which may lead readers to believe that his mental silence about sex with Paul …show more content…
According to Paul “[Sean’d] fall into [his] bed. Kicking off his boots and telling him [Paul] to do anything [he] want[s]. He didn’t care” (92). This passage, definitely, allows readers to see a part of Sean that was not seen before. These words of Paul are more than a simple and plain fact. His phrase “anything” literally means anything. In other words, this Sean concerned about masculinity is showing a different aspect of his sexual life. The self-described womanizer is giving his whole body to another man. Before this passage, readers already had knowledge about Sean’s bisexuality. However, based on Sean’s narration of his sex experiences, it is more logical to believe that Sean was the active partner in the relationship. The willingness of Sean to let Paul take that role is impressive, but the most relevant part of this passage is that it gives the reader a different description of this character, a description that helps to understand not only his real personality but also his attitudes when he has sex with …show more content…
However, in order to see that other part of Sean, it is important to analyze some passages of the book and Sean’s behavior. Among those aspects of the life of Sean, his mental silence about his relationship with Paul is what leads readers to question Sean’s identity. Bret Easton Ellis did a good job trying to leave ambiguous whether or not the sexual encounters between Paul and Sean are real, but a deeper analysis of Sean’s behavior proves that more than a simple adventure, this relationship reveals a part of Sean’s personality that leads readers to understand his self-described appearance. Sean’s recalls of past sex experiences with women are just a way to convince himself that he is a man confident of his sexual preferences. Therefore, he is a frustrated individual who lacks and identity or tries to avoid his real one. In other words, in the book, Sean pretends to be a “macho” just to hide his taste in men. The other two main characters of the story provide important information to understand Sean. Without those narrations it would be difficult to doubt about his self-described personality. Ultimately, His complicated relationships with each of the other two characters reveal the real personality of Sean. He is an individual who worries about not being someone and for that reason makes up a false
town they were heading to, he must come back to the pond and hide in
Every encounter Paul has with someone he creates a new identity to bond and connect with them. Throughout the play Paul creates multiple personas for himself, he realizes that he is an empty vessel with no past and only memories of what he has done during his different personas. Paul loses control over his multiple personas which cause them to overlap with each other. Which causes him to feel lost and in search of help, when Ousia offers this help he gladly takes it which end up putting him in prison and never to be seen in New York.
Identity in James Baldwin’s “Stranger in the Village” and Zora Neale Hurston’s “How it Feels to be Colored Me”
The Outsiders is a novel by S.E Hinton, that follows a young boy named Ponyboy who grows up in a gang. Johnny, Sodapop and Darry help him find how he fits into the world and without them he would have a hard time finding his own identity. Without having a close group of friends he would have a tough way of life, especially with the Socs. Being in a group that you associate with, that have different values to yourself can lead you to disregard your own ethics and do things you wouldn’t normally do, but at the same time this can assist and reinforce your own values…
The story The Outsiders By S.E Hinton is said to be “timeless” because kids can relate to the characters and themes of the story. In my opinion the story The Outsiders is not timeless because kids these days can’t relate to the characters in the story The Outsiders. Kids today aren’t riding in rodeos, roll drunks, jump smaller kids, walk to a stranger's house, or get in a stranger’s car, also they get arrested at the age of 10. Saying the statement “The Outsiders is a “timeless” book “ is an invalid statement. So, Kids today often don’t relate to The Outsiders anymore in many ways.
Both Percy and Mary Shelley had written a different interpretation of the Prometheus myth; with Percy’s Prometheus Unbound and Mary’s Frankenstein. Both of these works had examples that showed how the characters projected themselves into other beings. It could be interpreted that Mary had the intention to criticize the way a strong feeling of wishing something that is beyond the laws of the natural world to happen is without regard for the consequences that could occur as a result. These outcomes cannot be planned or controlled. Despite the outward appearance or aspect of the emphases on knowledge and creation—traits that are often considered virtues—Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Percy Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound revealed the ways in which humans, in their desire for these virtues, can triumph over the unpredictability of nature. The visually descriptive and figurative language that each author utilized helped to show the advantage of the power of narrative as a means of expressing the characters’ egos which drove them to overreach for the dominance over nature and relate to real people.
The idea of duality permeates the literary world. Certain contradictory commonplace themes exist throughout great works, creation versus destruction, light versus dark, love versus lust, to name a few, and this trend continues in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The pivotal pair in this text however, is monotony versus individuality. The opposing entities of this pairing greatly contrast against each other in Frankenstein, but individuality proves more dominant of the two in this book.
In The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton the author used three main points such as characters, loyalty and violence. The main character of the story, Ponyboy, is fourteen years old. He along with his brothers and his best friend joins a gang on the east side called the greasers, who are poor and wild and also reckless because they have nobody who will take care of them and show them the right way to do things so they have to do everything by themselves (Hinton 24).
Identity is primarily described primarily as what makes a person who they are. While it is seen as an individual asset, one’s identity can be shaped and persuaded not only by life experiences, but by society as well. Bryan Stevenson speaks on several controversial issues and proclaims certain societal problems and the typical behaviors noticed in response to them. How one approaches the issues that are spoken about may expose their true identity. Stevenson argues that how one reacts to racial inequality within the criminal justice system may regulate their identity. In addition to that, how dealing with the nation’s history may force a growth on one’s identity, eventually bringing peace and acceptance to the nation. Lastly, how one views the
In the short story “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” by Junot Diaz, the author pinpoints on the Yunior’s life as a writer and college professor who is also struggling with his romantic relationships. The short story is filled with his experiences of using women for his beneficial needs and how it negatively affects him. It focuses on Yunior’s downfall through life after the destruction of his relationship with his fiance. The diction includes the narrator’s hateful consideration of women and a paradox of his own endeavors which prevent him from pursuing a meaningful relationship, but he grows to realize that he treats women awfully and his ex did the right thing by leaving him due to his untruthfulness.
In The Great Gatsby, many individuals are involved in a struggle to find themselves and who they want to be. Personal identity is a very challenging thing to define. Everyone has an image in their mind of who they want to be. These images are usually very different from the actual identity of a person. In this novel, Jay Gatsby’s search or struggle for a new identity for himself is an ongoing journey. He has dedicated his entire life creating an image to impress Daisy Buchanan and to set himself into her society. This image does not necessarily depict who he is in reality.
Is there anything that you’re hiding that you’re even afraid to tell your best friend? Just walking in the halls and not knowing who you can talk to about your situation due to the pressures from society that may restrict you from acting the way you want or do what pleases you in order to meet social standards of status, success, gender roles, etc. It can cause us to lie in order to meet society's expectations and feel dignified or proud in society. Sometimes society tries to influence so much that we rebel against it, and do what isn’t “normal” anymore.
The strict guidelines for women’s behavior in twentieth century Puerto Rico determined how they both acted outwardly as well as how they perceived themselves intrinsically. Within Julia de Burgos’ poem “A Julia de Burgos” and Rosario Ferré’s When Women Love Men, there is a somewhat psychological study of the dichotomy between a woman’s true identity and expected behavior. By creatively challenging the expectations placed before women, allowing for identities influenced by what was perceived to be the “other” side, and employing mirror like voices, both authors stress the importance in the ability to mold a true concept of self.
Throughout world society, racism in others has caused them to become “blind” or ignorant. Racism has been around since anyone can remember. In racism in America, the struggle of African Americans seems to stand out the most. In Ralph Ellison’s, The Invisible Man, the narrator struggles to find his own identity despite of what he accomplishes throughout the book because he’s a black man living in a racist American society.
Stephen's relationship with the opposite sex begins to develop early in his life. Within the first few pages of the novel lie hints of the different roles women will...