Feminist and Queer Theory in Contemporary Literature: Explore Gender and Sexuality

Question 1

In Judith Butler's theory, which characteristic is central to the concept of gender?

Accepted Answer

Expressive and influenced by societal norms

Answer

Fixed and biologically determined

Answer

Intrinsic and unchanging

Answer

Exclusively defined by a male-female binary

Question 2

Which theme is not typically explored in contemporary queer literature?

Accepted Answer

Importance of traditional family values

Answer

Fluidity of gender and sexuality

Answer

Experiences of marginalized communities

Answer

Power structures in social institutions

Question 3

Which concept is central to Judith Butler's theory of gender trouble?

Accepted Answer

Gender is a social construct shaped by performance

Answer

Gender is a natural and unchanging category

Answer

Gender is a binary system enforced by societal norms

Answer

Gender is a personal and subjective experience

Question 4

What does Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's concept of the closet represent?

Accepted Answer

Social and cultural pressures silencing queer identities

Answer

Physical spaces where queer people conceal their identities

Answer

Choices made by queer people to protect themselves from discrimination

Answer

A harmful myth that should be eradicated.

Question 5

Which philosophical movement has not significantly influenced contemporary feminist and queer theory?

Accepted Answer

Existentialism

Answer

Postmodernism

Answer

Postcolonialism

Answer

Marxism

Question 6

According to Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, what distinguishes queer desire from other forms of attraction?

Accepted Answer

Its transcendence of binary categories of sexual orientation.

Answer

Its exclusive focus on same-sex relationships.

Answer

Its immutability and resistance to change.

Answer

Its inherent superiority to other forms of desire.

Question 7

In what way does feminist theory challenge traditional notions of authorship?

Accepted Answer

By questioning the idea of the author as a singular, unified entity.

Answer

By asserting the universality of the author's experience.

Answer

By prioritizing the experiences of marginalized authors.

Answer

By advocating for a complete rejection of the concept of authorship.

Question 8

Which contemporary literary work exemplifies the application of queer theory?

Accepted Answer

Fun Home

Answer

The Catcher in the Rye

Answer

Pride and Prejudice

Answer

The Great Gatsby

Question 9

How does the concept of intersectionality inform feminist and queer analyses?

Accepted Answer

By emphasizing the interconnectedness of multiple identities and their impact on experiences.

Answer

By reducing analysis solely to experiences of race or gender.

Answer

By prioritizing class-based analysis over other forms of identity.

Answer

By dismissing the role of social institutions in shaping identities.

Question 10

In what way does queer theory challenge traditional conceptions of family?

Accepted Answer

By critiquing the nuclear family as the only valid family model.

Answer

By emphasizing the importance of biological relationships above all else.

Answer

By promoting traditional gender roles within families.

Answer

By advocating for the abolition of all family structures.

Question 11

How does Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick define the 'epistemology of the closet'?

Accepted Answer

The ways in which the closet shapes the knowledge and experiences of queer individuals.

Answer

The belief that homosexuality is an essential and unchangeable aspect of identity.

Answer

The idea that homosexuality can be cured or changed through therapy.

Answer

The social and political consequences of coming out of the closet.

Question 12

What is the primary criticism of traditional feminist theory raised by feminist scholars of color, such as Audre Lorde and bell hooks?

Accepted Answer

Traditional feminist theory overlooks the experiences of women of color.

Answer

Traditional feminist theory prioritizes class analysis over gender analysis.

Answer

Traditional feminist theory focuses excessively on the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Question 13

How have feminist and queer theories impacted the evolution of contemporary queer fiction?

Accepted Answer

By offering a framework to comprehend and depict the multifaceted experiences of queer individuals.

Accepted Answer

By fostering experimentation with narrative structures and challenging conventional literary norms.

Accepted Answer

By advocating for the inclusion of autobiographical elements to provide authentic and nuanced portrayals of queer experiences.

Answer

By advocating for the exclusive representation of queer characters and experiences, marginalizing heterosexual perspectives.

Question 14

According to Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity, gender is:

Accepted Answer

A social construction that is performed through actions and behaviors.

Answer

A fixed and immutable essence.

Answer

Determined solely by biological factors.

Answer

A choice that individuals make consciously.

Question 15

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's concept of queer theory aims to:

Accepted Answer

Destabilize and challenge the heterosexual matrix.

Answer

Essentialize and categorize LGBTQ+ identities.

Answer

Promote tolerance and acceptance of all LGBTQ+ people.

Answer

Create a new hierarchy of sexualities.

Question 16

Judith Butler's theory of performativity suggests that the body is:

Accepted Answer

An active site of meaning-making.

Answer

A passive and unchanging entity.

Answer

A purely biological construct.

Answer

Identical for all individuals.

Question 17

Regarding power dynamics, feminist and queer theories share the view that power is:

Accepted Answer

A complex and multifaceted force.

Answer

Exclusively based on gender or sexuality.

Answer

Fixed and unchangeable.

Answer

Irrelevant to literary analysis.

Question 18

According to Judith Butler's theory of performativity, what is gender?

Accepted Answer

A rehearsed set of culturally prescribed behaviors and attributes.

Answer

A fixed and immutable essence that is biologically determined.

Answer

A choice that an individual makes based on their personal preferences.

Question 19

How does feminist theory challenge traditional notions of "womanhood"?

Accepted Answer

By arguing that there is no single, essential definition of womanhood and that women's experiences are diverse and complex.

Answer

By claiming that all women are oppressed by men and that patriarchy is the root of all inequality.

Question 20

How does queer theory challenge the idea of a "natural" family structure?

Accepted Answer

By arguing that all families are created and structured socially and that there is no single, normative model of family life.

Answer

By claiming that all families should be headed by a heterosexual couple.

Question 21

According to Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity, gender is:

Accepted Answer

A repeated performance of socially constructed categories through which the 'regulatory norms of sex' are produced

Answer

A fixed and immutable category based on biological sex

Answer

A choice individuals make based solely on personal preferences

Question 22

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's concept of queer performativity suggests that:

Accepted Answer

Queerness is not a fixed identity but rather a fluid and performative category

Answer

Queer people are inherently different from heterosexual people

Answer

Queerness is a static and immutable category based solely on sexual orientation

Question 23

Which of the following is a key concept in feminist theory?

Accepted Answer

Intersectionality

Answer

Essentialism

Answer

Objectivism

Answer

Universalism

Question 24

According to queer theory, how is the concept of 'the body' constructed?

Accepted Answer

As a discursively produced site that is shaped by power relations

Answer

As purely a biological construct

Answer

As a natural and immutable entity

Question 25

How does feminist theory challenge traditional understandings of the public/private divide?

Accepted Answer

It argues that the private sphere is not inherently feminine or separate from the public sphere

Answer

It maintains that the public sphere is more important than the private sphere

Answer

It does not engage with the concept of the public/private divide

Question 26

How does queer theory challenge traditional notions of heterosexuality?

Accepted Answer

It argues that heterosexuality is not a natural or universal norm but rather a socially constructed category

Answer

It maintains that heterosexuality is the only valid form of sexuality

Question 27

Which of the following is a seminal text in feminist theory?

Accepted Answer

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

Answer

The Iliad by Homer

Answer

The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

Answer

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald