Sex and Desire Essay -- Literary Analysis

Sex and desire. Few words evoke such complexity of meaning. For some, it is a sexual act. Whereas one might describe it as the sensual pleasure of two bodies fused into one being, another may define it as the fulfillment of animalistic desire, an unleashing of the beast, if you will. But, beyond an act charged with various meaning, it can also serve as an identity–heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or transsexual. Whether act or identity, societal dictates define the norm and the deviant. Because of this, the artist who departs from the "acceptable" and embraces the "aberrant," arouses the consciousness of self and society. In doing so, sex and desire become a vehicle, a means of communication between artist and audience, and an object that demands our attention. Whether it is the subtle and sensual language of Anaà ¯s Nin in The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin (1966), the coarse and explicit vocabulary of Henry Miller in Tropic of Cancer (1934), or the poetic and surrealistic prose o f Djuna Barnes in Nightwood (1934), sex and desire, as a vehicle in the literature of these authors, exposes the chaos and confusion within their world and suggests the establishment of a new order for self and society. Written between 1931 and 1934, The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin chronicles one artist’s psychological journey. Deserted by her father as a young girl, Anaà ¯s experiences an â€Å"initial shock† that leaves her â€Å"like a shattered mirror† (103). The shards of glass, each developing a life of their own, come to be the â€Å"several selves† of Anaà ¯s (103). Through the pages of The Diary, reflecting upon and dissecting these various selves, she concludes, â€Å"one does not need to remain in bondage to the first wax imprint made on childhood sensibilities. One need not be brande... ...thly father, a man she worshipped from her youth. This is further supported by a reference to the child as a â€Å"fragment of the past† (341). Finally, while giving birth she remarks, â€Å"These legs I opened to joy, this honey that flowed out in the joy–now these legs are twisted in pain and the honey flows with the blood† (344, emphasis added). All things considered, it seems reasonable to conclude the child was a result of incestuous union. Nevertheless, from the chaos and confusion, emerges the â€Å"birth† of the â€Å"real† Anaà ¯s and while she â€Å"may not become a saint† she is â€Å"very full and very rich† (360). Works Cited Barnes, Djuna. Nightwood. New York: New Directions Books, 2006. Print. Miller, Henry. Tropic of Cancer. New York: Grove Press, 1961. Print. Nin, Anaà ¯s. The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin: Volume One 1931-1934. San Diego: Swallow Press and Harcourt, 1966. Print.