Last Paper/Discussion Questions…
For Thursday, April 23:
Reading Assignment:
Michel Foucault, ed., Herculine Barbin: Being the recently discovered Memoirs of a 19th century hermaphrodite, introduction and pp. 3-128
Written Assignment:
Choose one of the sets of questions below and writethreeclear, well-developed, well-organized paragraphs in response.
1. What 19th-century ideas about sexuality shaped Herculine Barbin’s life and experiences? What 19th-century ideas about women shaped her feelings about herself, about her place in society, about her feelings and personality? How would she have been a different person, if she had been brought up as a boy?
2. Think of all the different ways in which this is a story which could not happen in the 21st century – what would have happened to Herculine Barbin if she were your contemporary? Would she have had a happier life today, and why? What parts of her life would be difficult even in contemporary America?
***For class discussion, pick one aspect of the story that interested you in particular and come to class prepared to discuss it briefly.
***The grade for this writing assignment cannot be dropped!
