Proseminar: Literature and Gender

Our language and everyday practices, such as ordering a new passport (in CH), ask us to identify as either female or male; but what about non-binary people? Literature has long taught us that gender is far from fixed let alone dichotomous. We will explore texts that undermine the heteronormative discourse and tackle topics such as gender fluidity and sexuality. Our discussion will begin with Virginia Woolf's canonical novel "Orlando" and end with contemporary explorations of gender. We will read novels, short stories and poems as well as theory to acquire a profound understanding of gender's complexity.