Book contents
- Philip Roth in Context
- Philip Roth in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Notes on Contributors
- A Note on References and Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Life and Literary Contexts
- Part II Critical Contexts
- Part III Geographical Contexts
- Part IV Theoretical Contexts
- Part V Jewish American Identity
- Part VI Gender and Sexuality
- Chapter 25 Roth and Women
- Chapter 26 Masculinity
- Chapter 27 Roth and Sexuality
- Part VII Political Contexts
- Part VIII Roth’s Legacy
- Primary Bibliography
- Selected Secondary Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 27 - Roth and Sexuality
from Part VI - Gender and Sexuality
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 July 2021
- Philip Roth in Context
- Philip Roth in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Notes on Contributors
- A Note on References and Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Life and Literary Contexts
- Part II Critical Contexts
- Part III Geographical Contexts
- Part IV Theoretical Contexts
- Part V Jewish American Identity
- Part VI Gender and Sexuality
- Chapter 25 Roth and Women
- Chapter 26 Masculinity
- Chapter 27 Roth and Sexuality
- Part VII Political Contexts
- Part VIII Roth’s Legacy
- Primary Bibliography
- Selected Secondary Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Roth is known for his frank depictions of sex and desire; indeed, these elements of his novels have been some of the primary sources of their controversy. Yet what often goes overlooked, especially among those who read Roth’s work as sexist or hyper-masculinist, are the ways he engages with notions of sexual fluidity. This chapter will provide readers with some necessary theoretical and cultural background for understanding the variety of ways Roth writes about sex and desire. In some ways, a heteronormative culture informs his representation of such. However, Roth’s representation of queerness and homosocial discourse in works ranging from Letting Go to The Professor of Desire to Sabbath’s Theater to Indignation, among other works, complicates a simplistic reading of his engagement with sexuality.
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- Information
- Philip Roth in Context , pp. 287 - 298Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021