A Lure of Knowledge: Lesbian Sexuality and Theory

Lesbianism in literature has been dealt with rather indirectly in the past. Editors have led readers to the ＂artistry＂ of a work containing lesbianism, emphasizing instead the literary history and historical context of the work rather than the representations of lesbianism. The editor for Colette’s The Pure and the Impure, for instance, affirms that Colette has a knowledge of a ＂strange sisterhood,＂ but assures readers she has never strayed from the ＂normal.＂

Judith Roof is assistant professor of english, University of Delaware. She is the coeditor of Feminism and Psychoanalysis.