The Last Thesis

This is the last one and it's a bittersweet feeling. Part of me is sad that this is the last essay, but part of me is also glad that I am almost done.

To be fair, I am not sure how to go about writing this thesis. I am confused as to where to start; in other words, I have no idea how to narrow down the topic. To remedy this, I guess I'll just reason my way to a provisional thesis and project narrative.

The one thing that is set in stone so far is the zine that I am using: Out of the Closets, and Into the Libraries. Since this essay is supposed to focus on the "stylistic conventions" and "characteristics of 'queer writing'," I know I will have to discuss the way my zine is compiled. So let's begin with that.

Out of the Closets, and Into the Libraries is a compilation of historical accounts. These 'accounts' include historical nonfiction descriptions, timelines, propaganda, personal introductions, and personal accounts of events. Because of this, I am looking for theory sources that focus on those types of writing and how they bolster the queer purpose.

Moreover, the purpose of the zine is to show how differences in queer movements have to be recognized in order obtain a full, connected queer liberation. In other words, not every queer movement is the same; almost each and every one is different in some manner or another.

Thus, I want to combine the way the zine is written with the way it strives to fulfill its purpose: how do the different works of writing compiled in the zine convey the differences of queer movements, and how does that in return allow for a more complete queer liberation?

My answer to that is the following provisional thesis:

Although just a collection of others' writing, Conrad's Out of the Closets, and Into the Libraries compiles different stylistic accounts of queer movements to highlight the differences between those historical events which in turn displays a more united queer frontier.

My essay will be simple to follow:

I want to start by describing the several techniques of writing that are used in the zine, specifically personal accounts and propaganda (but I will touch on the other ones to). The sources involved in this section will be writing theory sources. For example, Pop Goes The Queerness focuses on queerness becoming more prevalent in media, and I can relate that back to both propaganda and zines in general. Furthermore, Listening to Queer Maps of the City shows how personal accounts of queer helps strengthen what 'queer' actually is.

The next section will focus on how those different types of writing relate back to what we have already read in class. For example, for personal accounts of queerness, I can focus on the essays by Sedgwick and Lorde. Moreover, for propaganda, I can literally look at almost anything we have read since propaganda is always interspersed through writing. Also in this section, I want to focus on the substance of my zine and how it relates to what else we have read. For instance, I want to focus on how people view queer differently, and this relates well to Angels in America with how Roy sees queer differently. I am still looking for good sources for this section.

My last section will simply tie everything back together to answer the final question of how this create a more united queer frontier. Hopefully after I create my source map everything will begin to click, but for now I still have a lot to think about it. I'll be looking for more sources in the mean time, so bare with me.

Thanks for your time, and please comment!


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Farhan Khan

Zealous About Zines

When we went to the Rubenstein, I found one zine that I really enjoyed. It's called Out of The Closets, And Into The Libraries, and I guess what I find fascinating about it is that it is unlike any of the other zines I looked at it. From a basic viewpoint, the zine resembles a history lesson. It describes several queer moments up until the mid-1980's, and it gives different info about each like participants, cause, etc. But to me, the zine is not just about the events.

Instead, I think the zine is about the people from each events connect to each other. In other words, what is the central history behind each of the participants and how do they connect? The zine looks at over twenty events, so I would focus on a few if I chose to answer that question. 

Moreover, the zine looks at what each group is fighting for, but I think the compiler, Conrad, poses the question: "Is what each group fighting for really that different?" Personally, I don't think so, but that would be another cool research question to look at it. 

If I chose to look at the zine from a literary rather than a substance viewpoint, I could look at the writing style put into each event (the compiler actually plagiarized and took excerpts from different authors who are not given credit...). This could help draw more connections and could answer questions about differences among queer writing.

Overall, I think this zine really helps me answer quite a few questions. I just have to choose which to answer.

If you want to read the zine, here it is:

http://zinelibrary.info/files/outoftheclostets.pdf

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Farhan Khan

Forced Reproduction

One part of my thesis focuses on the role of consent in reproduction, so I went looking for a resource that dealt with just that. Now, I admit that in "Bloodchild" it is the male who has to give consent to be impregnated, but that would be rather hard to find. But I figured that the scenario of a woman having to give consent to be impregnated would apply, which is why I chose the following source:

The Political Dimension of Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights by Lillian Abricinskas and Alejandra Lopez.

I chose this source rather than one about rape because in "Bloodchild," the boy has the right to not have sex (theoretically). That is why I am choosing a source that shows what goes through a woman's mind when she is deciding whether reproducing is really worth it or not.

The source basically hones in on what a female has to consider when she is considering reproducing or not. Is it worth it? Who will be affected? Do I have the right?

All of these questions also go through Gan's mind, such as when he has to wonder if he would rather have his sister do it or if he would want to go through the same suffering. There is a distinct correlation between his questions and the empowered woman's, so I believe that this would really help forward my argument.

Moreover, the source also gives a background context of the modern US, which would really help with my thesis's critique aspect. What is Octavia Butler saying we should change about how we deal with reproduction? Based on the source, a lot. From abortion arguments to birth control, the source examines all in its attempt to focus our view on what needs to be changed, and much of this can be applied to "Bloodchild" in an indirect way.

I think it's a good source, but maybe I can find better.

The New Thesis

This is going to be... Very provisional since I really don't know where to start. Well, at least I know which question I want to answer--great start, right?

For now, I'll be answering the question concerning particular social norms and how they are challenged, and I'll be using "Blood Child."

Here goes nothing.

Although her writing focuses on an arranged relationship, Octavia Butler's "Blood Child" still critiques the role of gender and highlights the importance of consent involved in reproduction between two individuals.

My qualification stems from the fact that in an arranged marriage, there is limited idea of consent (at least in Indian culture). Since Gan's mother promised one of her children to the T'lic, I felt the need to qualify my assertion by pointing out that this relationship is even more abnormal than if a human and T'lic willingly mated.

My focus on gender comes from the fact that in "Blood Child", it's not the female getting impregnated; rather, it's the male. This shows a role reversal that really challenges the way our society thinks, and I want to signal that as important. Moreover, it is the female that is seen as dominant in this relationship: the T'lic is older, bigger, and more powerful (notice the way she commanded Gan around?).

Next is consent. Rape is an evident problem in today's world, and Butler shows that it is something that needs to be fixed. I noticed this question of consent when the T'lic gives the sterile egg to Gan in order to get him drunk... Sketchy. Then she stings his mother so that she cannot protest, which is even weirder. Lastly, she basically manipulates his love for his sister, making him give himself up rather than give his sister up. Instead of critiquing our view of consent in reproduction, she is reinforcing it, saying that is something that does not need to be changed. Consent needs to be given.

All in all, some of this will change, or maybe a lot of it will change. But this is just my starting point, so enjoy!


--
Farhan Khan

The Age of AIDS

I opened the book not knowing what to expect, and the character list kind of through me off... Angels, really? But then I remembered that this is science fiction where anything can happen, so I decided to give the book a chance.

Angels In America jumps straight into gender generalization with Act 1. Lets flash forward to the exchange between Roy Cohn and Henry, his doctor. Henry diagnoses Roy with AIDS, and the doctor says that Roy most likely has AIDS due to sexual encounters with other men--he states that Roy is a homosexual.

This sets Roy off.

He argues that labels such as "homosexual" only define where people "fit in the food chain" (Kushner 45). This basically means that people are only considered different things because that is the way society wants the people to be considered. Moreover, according to Roy, one can define what he or she is, like when Roy states, "Roy Cohn is a heterosexual man, Henry, who fucks around with guys"(Kushner 46). So according to Roy and Angels in America, there is no such thing as a sexual identity--we are who we want to be.

Another huge part of Act 1 is the introduction of AIDS. So far, two characters have AIDS-like symptoms: Prior and Roy. This brings about the relation of AIDS to homosexuality that was so significant in that time period. People used that idea to view homosexuality in a negative light and also to characterize it as a type of disease (physical and not mental, which differs from The Price of Salt). 

Overall, Act 1 really introduces us to different aspects of homosexuality in that era. Let me know what you think.

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Farhan Khan

Weirded Out

I have to say, after reading "Blood Child," I was a little weirded out; I guess that's what is supposed to happen since science fiction is about experiencing new ideas. To be fair, I did not even consider most of the ideas until reading the afterword, but once I did read it, everything began to click.

I started to see the piece as a critique of gender roles and how the gender roles that we have now are all circumstantial, and the short story does a good job of showing both sides of the argument. For example, the scene of implantation portrays the jobs of women and men in society. On one hand,  a woman, such as Hoa, is "expected to carry other lives inside of her" (Butler 26). On the other hand, the men also end up pregnant with the worms. This shows that in pieces of science fiction, we can explore what it is like to have different gender roles without many outside consequences.

I also love how "Blood Child" describes that ideas are implanted (no pun intended) in our minds as children. For instance, Gan states, "Shown when we're young kids, and shown more than once" (Butler 29). The quote illustrates that our perceptions are based on what we learn as kids; if we learn that gender roles are different (when we are young), then we will see the world differently. Wouldn't that be strange to imagine? Males as females and females as males? I at least think it's interesting--let me know if you do too.



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Farhan Khan

The First Paragraph

I have worked and worked on my first paragraph and I believe that it is ready. My paragraph is being workshopped tomorrow, so enjoy!

… Although Patricia Highsmith strays from the traditional lesbian pulp fiction format by ending The Price of Salt happily, she still depicts lesbianism as a disease to reinforce it as harmful and contagious.

            Patricia Highsmith does more than simply label lesbianism as a disease; she explicitly portrays how lesbianism harms young women. How? Through her protagonist, Therese, who exhibits a common symptom of a “sordid and pathological” love: mental instability. In the earlier parts of the book, Therese retains a calm demeanor, yet shortly after meeting Carol, Therese’s mind deteriorates. Highsmith demonstrates this deterioration with Therese’s sudden mood swings, such as when she experiences a shift of having “anger” to feeling “vulnerable and defenseless” in a scene with Abby (112). Some argue that this example, however, only shows Therese being deeply in love, but on the other hand, the kite scene displays Therese’s acquired instability spilling over into everyday life, such as when she, an adult, ends up hysterical and “shrill with tears” over a lost kite (92, 93). Understanding lesbianism as harmful to the mind explains how the mid-1900s society could not believe that someone would be a lesbian out of her free will. Instead, that society believes that lesbians are damaged and unable to make rational choices, and Patricia Highsmith only contributes to the misunderstanding.

I would love some feedback!

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Farhan Khan