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Novels that explore sexuality

Hey all

Basically, for my English Literature coursework, we get to choose two novels to study, and a theme to compare in them. I'm interested in comparing how sexuality is explored in the two different novels, but I'm at a loss as to which novels to use! One of them is going to be Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, but what can I compare with this? :s-smilie:

Thanks

Reply 1

Deathly Hallows

Kama Sutra springs to mind :p:

Reply 2

Spica P.

"Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov

"Woman at Point Zero" by Nawal el-Saadawi (considered quite a feminist novel, but there are stuff about sexuality in it)

"Saman" by Ayu Utami (an Indonesian novel, I think it's been translated into English. VERY sexual but beautifully, almost poetically, written)

Reply 3

the_alba

12

When I was doing my A-levels, a lot of people compared Oranges to The Colour Purple (Alice Walker).

Reply 4

slk999

15

i'd go for le grand meaulnes- alan fournier (can't spell properly). perhaps orlando by virginia woolf too?

Reply 5

Spike4848

12

How about something by the Marquis de Sade?

Reply 6

Woop*Feminism*Woop

Almost anything by Angela Carter (the genious). Try 'The Passion of New Eve'

xx

Reply 7

la fille danse

17

Quicksand by Nella Larsen - if you're interested in how the sexuality of African-American women was portrayed in the 1920s

Reply 8

Kater Murr

20

Hmmm, or perhaps, The Immoralist by Andre Gide.
This is about a married man who falls ill in the middle east, and subsequently becomes infatuated by some boys because of their health and youth. Good book, nothing explicit.

Reply 9

Sammyjo18

8

ooh. the classic Lady Chatterleys lover. lots of sex in that.

or try Jazz by Toni Morrison. looks at sexuality and adultery in marriage. and links it too the jazz age, and how social fashions affect a sexual relationship.

Reply 10

Andregide

Obviously second The Immoralist, fantastic work in its own right, and addresses many major sexuality issues including pedeophilia, homosexuality and infidelity.

I think de Sade wouldn't be appropriate, too explicit and too violent, even in Justine which is the most reserved (as if any of them were at all reserved!)

Possibly Venus in Furs, by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. There's no explicit sex scenes, although it is designed to be erotic. It could be a useful point of comparison re feminism and gender roles. Its an exploration of masochism in relationships (ie in an emotional as well as a sexual sense).

ag

Reply 11

W.O.N.D.E.R

"Their Eyes were watching God" or "Beloved" ...But I didnt read "Oranges" So No idea if it will work...But "Their Eyes .." in my opinion must work... It has images of flowers blossoms and bees that represent sexuality and other stuff like that ( I hated the book in IB :s-smilie:

)

Reply 12

username43584

8

No chance of you using something that isn't a novel?

I loved the portrayal of Cleopatra's sexuality in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra as contrasted with Octavia. Octavia is so cold and under wraps whereas Cleopatra revels in her overtness. It really emphasises the conflict between Rome and Egypt.

Oranges deals mainly with the problems of a cold sterile sort of sexuality (or lack thereof) doesn't it? It's been a while since I read it.

Reply 13

klerr

I think "Middlesex" by Jeffery Eugenides might be a good one for that. Firstly, it's a wonderful book; you also have common themes such as developing sexuality in a young person (main characters are around the same age), religion and the church, family, leaving home/exile because of difference, search for identity. And there are enough differences (gender, culture, sexual difference, history ... ) to offer a lot of contrast.

I don't know if you have to pick a different author, but perhaps it would be an idea to look at another book by Winterson, as the exploration of sexuality is a thread running through most of her work, although in very different ways. "Written on the Body" comes to mind. "Sexing the Cherry" might be a bit too difficult, although it certainly offers a lot to examine.

Reply 14

empfrench

Alan Hollinghurst's The Line of Beauty and Will Self's Dorian explore, very differently, male homosexuality in the eighties. Any of Hollinghurst's novels would be choices.

Reply 15

Renegade Dagger

9

W.O.N.D.E.R

"Their Eyes were watching God" or "Beloved" ...But I didnt read "Oranges" So No idea if it will work...But "Their Eyes .." in my opinion must work... It has images of flowers blossoms and bees that represent sexuality and other stuff like that ( I hated the book in IB :s-smilie:

)

Hmmm, I disagree. No offence, but I think "Their eyes..." and "Beloved" are more about race and women than sexuality.

But The Color Purple would be a good one.

If you can do drama, then choose THE HOMECOMING (it rocks!)

Reply 16

W.O.N.D.E.R

Renegade Dagger

Hmmm, I disagree. No offence, but I think "Their eyes..." and "Beloved" are more about race and women than sexuality.

But The Color Purple would be a good one.

If you can do drama, then choose THE HOMECOMING (it rocks!)

In a way they do , For exaomle in Beloved the symbol of trees,cows and the dress .etc IN their Eyes where watching GOd the whole theme is about development of Janies character , and she also goes through sexual development ,,,,
I will agree that they also show the role of black women and many other stuff....But their is an important part in each of them that explores sexuality ,,through symbols and metaphors ...

By the way , our IB teacher said that all three novels are conected (Beloved, Their Eyes .., and The color purple)...She said that they are very similar and we where gona read it ,,, if my class read the novels faster ... Thanx God we didnt read it :rolleyes:

Reply 17

J'en ai marre

8

Sarah Waters perhaps?

Reply 18

Bandev

May I suggest another book by Toni Morrison, Sula.

Reply 19

Renegade Dagger

9

Yes, I agree slightly W.O.N.D.E.R, but is there really enough about sexuality to write a comparison essay?

It would be easier picking a book where you wouldn't have to scrap around for sexual metaphors (like Janie's hair, or Sethe's Chokeberry Tree).

The Bluest Eye and Beloved could be useful, but as the above poster mentioned, Sula is the one with the most overt sexuality.

Novels that explore sexuality

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