(1) On Sigmund Freud: It has become commonplace to accuse Freud of formulating theories that are damaging to women, but is it possible to redeem his work? Are there elements in his work that undermine its manifestly patriarchal designs?
(2) On Virginia Woolf and/or Hélène Cixous: Critically discuss (and/or compare) the feminist strategies used by Woolf and/or Cixous.
(3) On Toer’s Footsteps: Minke’s concept of nationalism is in large part influenced by the women in his life. Paying particular attention to AT LEAST TWO female characters in the novel, discuss the role/ contribution of women in the formation of Minke’s concept of nation. Do their “voices” resonate in Minke’s singular and dominant narrative voice? Or, are they, in the end, rendered mute by Minke’s patriarchal impulses?
(4) On Miller’s 300: Offer a critical reading of Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 that is organized around one or more of the following themes: violence, (hyper)masculinity, race, queerness.
(5) On Chang’s Hunger: Examine the significance of location and dislocation in Lan Samantha Chang’s Hunger. How does spatial imagery explicate and/or develop and/or extend and/or even complicate the novella’s theme of (cultural) memory. In making your argument feel free to explore the connections between space and other central concepts in Hunger (food, music, language, etcetera).
