Intro to Lit Crit
Discover the essentials of literary criticism with this curated intro reading list. Featuring foundational texts like Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's *Between Men* and *Gender Trouble*, explore key concepts in gender studies, queer theory, and critical analysis—perfect for students and book lovers beginning their crit journey.
Book
Between Men
by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
At the time of its first appearance in 1985 Between Men was viewed as an important intervention into Feminist as well as Gay and Lesbian studies. It was an important book because it argued that "sexuality" and "desire" were not a historical phenomenon but carefully managed social constructs. This insight (that actually originated with Michael Foucault) is often viewed as anti-humanist or post-humanist because it argues that men and women are simply the products of patriarchal power relations over which they have no control. By mobilizing Foucault's theories of the history of sexuality Sedgwick re-fashions Feminism and Gay and Lesbian Studies to make it seem as though Feminism and Gay and Lesbian studies are ideally situated to continue those interventions into the history of sexuality begun by Foucault.
