The Student Room Group

EPQ title help - homosexuality in literature

The deadline for my EPQ application is literally in 4 days and I still haven't quite got all of it organised, especially the most important part. My current title is How has homosexuality in literature changed over time?
my only worry is that that is too broad or the question isn't specific enough, e.g not including time periods or not beginning with 'to what extent...' so if anyone could help me try and change my title so it fits properly that would be great!
(edited 1 year ago)
Reply 1
You found help with this yet?
Way too broad a question. People literally write PhD dissertations on just small aspects of this topic!

I would suggest restricting your title to a given text or set of texts or author, and specify the critical approach you will be taking (presumably a queer theoretic one, but you could just as well explore texts incorporating homosexual themes from other approaches too, potentially quite fruitfully!). That should help narrow down things a bit. If looking at a set of texts, carefully consider what time periods they are from - if you are assessing a range of contemporaneous texts your approach will probably be quite different comparing e.g. a present day text with an older text, so this may inform what critical approach you take to them.

Have you decided which text(s)/author(s) to focus on? I wouldn't suggest more than three texts at most for something like an EPQ, as otherwise you'll probably end up with too superficial an analysis - even three might be challenging to juggle. Also note that if you want to write on literature in translation, you will probably need to dedicate some space to discussing the issues and limitations of translation particularly as it relates to homosexual/homoerotic themes vs the cultural institutions which may shape a translation.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by OG DOUG
You found help with this yet?


no not yet!
Original post by artful_lounger
Way too broad a question. People literally write PhD dissertations on just small aspects of this topic!

I would suggest restricting your title to a given text or set of texts or author, and specify the critical approach you will be taking (presumably a queer theoretic one, but you could just as well explore texts incorporating homosexual themes from other approaches too, potentially quite fruitfully!). That should help narrow down things a bit. If looking at a set of texts, carefully consider what time periods they are from - if you are assessing a range of contemporaneous texts your approach will probably be quite different comparing e.g. a present day text with an older text, so this may inform what critical approach you take to them.

Have you decided which text(s)/author(s) to focus on? I wouldn't suggest more than three texts at most for something like an EPQ, as otherwise you'll probably end up with too superficial an analysis - even three might be challenging to juggle. Also note that if you want to write on literature in translation, you will probably need to dedicate some space to discussing the issues and limitations of translation particularly as it relates to homosexual/homoerotic themes vs the cultural institutions which may shape a translation.


thank you for the advice! would you say that doing two texts from different time periods would be a good way to go, e.g picture of dorian gray vs a modern gay book published in the last 10 years or so?
Original post by darknightingale3
thank you for the advice! would you say that doing two texts from different time periods would be a good way to go, e.g picture of dorian gray vs a modern gay book published in the last 10 years or so?


Depends on what you want to do. The thing with comparing a recent vs older text is that you have two sets of cultural and historical contexts to consider, rather than just one. This isn't necessarily an issue but is something to be aware of. It's also perhaps easier to fall into the trap of judging a historical text by purely modern standards, instead of the standards of the contemporary society when it was published. While obviously re-evaluating texts by modern standards is part of literary analysis and criticism if you just ignore the contemporary picture you can end up drawing really bizarre, ahistorical conclusions!

You also need to see what links the two texts have other than just the homosexual themes - are there genre parallels/contrasts? Literary techniques used in both? Basically, aside from the cultural and historical contexts, how can you analyse the two in tandem on a purely literary angle? This might inform which modern text you select and consequently what kind of critical approach you take to analysing it.

For example you might idk, take some kind of Marxist reading and examine the homosexual themes through that lens, whether in the Picture of Dorian Gray such matters are only possible for Dorian to explore due to his status as a member of the aristrocracy somehow, and you might want to consider a modern text where the themes are explored from the perspective of a working class person - maybe something by Irvine Welsh for example...? You could then explore how homosexuality and class intersect across those two time periods.

Of course you may choose to focus on something else entirely though! Equally it may be that the texts chosen there don't work as well for comparative purposes...although unfortunately given the time constraint you probably need to just pick the texts and make it work :s-smilie: Unfortunately I'm not a great literary analyst so it's kind of hard to give recommendations :redface: That said, the EPQ probably isn't going to make or break anything so just try and narrow down a topic and texts that seem interesting and then write on it - if it doesn't "work" then well, no real loss! If it does work out then you have a nice little thing to write about if you apply to a literary degree :smile:
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by darknightingale3
The deadline for my EPQ application is literally in 4 days and I still haven't quite got all of it organised, especially the most important part. My current title is How has homosexuality in literature changed over time?
my only worry is that that is too broad or the question isn't specific enough, e.g not including time periods or not beginning with 'to what extent...' so if anyone could help me try and change my title so it fits properly that would be great!

I did my A level english lit coursework on homoeroticism and aestheticism in dorian gray and the well of loneliness - which was published in 1928. Really great time comparison, different aspects of homoeroticism (which is the fancy literature term for homosexuality) and views on queerness. my full title was:

It has been said that ‘homoeroticism was seen as something belonging to the aesthetic movement’ - Homoerotic codes in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Luljeta Muriqi

Compare and contrast how Oscar Wilde and Radclyffe Hall show this in relation to how they present homosexuality in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and ’The Well of Loneliness’
Reply 7
PM, lemme help you with it
Reply 8
Hi, I'm doing mine on the same two novels but am struggling with coming up with a working title. Did you have any other ideas before you settled on this one? Thank you!
Original post by Crunchie_Butt
I did my A level english lit coursework on homoeroticism and aestheticism in dorian gray and the well of loneliness - which was published in 1928. Really great time comparison, different aspects of homoeroticism (which is the fancy literature term for homosexuality) and views on queerness. my full title was:

It has been said that ‘homoeroticism was seen as something belonging to the aesthetic movement’ - Homoerotic codes in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Luljeta Muriqi

Compare and contrast how Oscar Wilde and Radclyffe Hall show this in relation to how they present homosexuality in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and ’The Well of Loneliness’
Original post by sadrien
Hi, I'm doing mine on the same two novels but am struggling with coming up with a working title. Did you have any other ideas before you settled on this one? Thank you!


Hey! I honestly have no idea, i did mine a fairly long time ago. If you still need help, try looking for some quotes or articles about the theme you want to look at and go from there!

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending