Kumkum Hirani

Can Orlando be considered an early work of queer literature? Why? Introduction        Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography (1928) is a novel that challenges traditional ideas about gender, identity, and sexuality. The story follows Orlando, a young nobleman in Elizabethan England who mysteriously transforms into a woman and lives for over three centuries, experiencing different historical periods and societal expectations. Woolf’s playful yet profound exploration of gender fluidity and self-identity makes Orlando one of the most groundbreaking works of its time.       Many scholars and readers consider Orlando an early work of queer literature because it challenges the rigid binary of male and female, presenting gender as something fluid and changeable. The novel also explores themes of same-sex attraction and sexual ambiguity, which were radical ideas in the 1920s. Additionally, Orlando was inspired by Woolf’s close relationship with Vita Sackville-W...

This blog was assigned by Dr. Dilip Sir Barad. It's about An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. For further information, here is the link. Teacher's blog . And here is the background study material. Click here Video:- 1 1. Introduction to Kazuo Ishiguro Kazuo Ishiguro is a Japanese-born British novelist (born on November 8, 1954, in Nagasaki, Japan). Moved to Britain in 1960, studied at the University of Kent (BA) and the University of East Anglia (MA). Writing Style & Themes: His works explore memory, regret, nostalgia, and subtle optimism. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature (2017) for uncovering the "abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world." 2. About the Novel – An Artist of the Floating World Published in 1986, set in post-WWII Japan, showing its westernization/Americanization .The  novel follows Masuji Ono, an elderly artist reflecting on his past as a propagandist during Japan’s imperialist era. He once felt proud of his...