If you cannot respond to this chapter in a mature way--skip it.
In all honesty, I would say that very few of the books you will read for high school classes will contain much sex. There are a couple of scenes in1984, but they are more like those scenes mentioned in the previous chapter.
However, I think Foster makes some legitimate points. I would agree that the act itself in quality literature always has a deeper meaning. There is a reason beyond the physical act why the scene is included. Have any of you read Lady Chatterley's Lover? I haven't, but I think I might now. I checked, but it's not on the AP list...(There are actually several books mentioned in this book so far that I would like to read!)
OK--so what should you write about? Well, what did you think about this chapter? Do you agree with him? Have you read any novels with sexual scenes--which have a deeper meaning?
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I agree with him, many sex scenes do have a deeper meaning. I can't really think of any right now, but I can think of sometimes when this would apply. I also agree with some of the examples that the author gave, such as when a guy was cheating on his wife with another girl, that totally has a deeper meaning. That is showing his desire for something different and his boredom with his current marriage. I'm going to try and look into these scenes more in books I read and movies I watch and see if there is a deeper meaning in them.
ReplyDeleteI admit I have read many books that have sexual scenes in it. And many times those scenes are for a deeper purpose, as if there would be some deep emotion missing for the reader if the scene was left out. I also admit that I have written many a story with sexual scenes in it, and I love people reading my work, so it makes it hard for me to find a good reader because they skip that part. Its not the same without the whole of it.
ReplyDeleteSexual content to anything can make many people uncomfortable, though I think it really shouldn't, like I said before, its a natural thing that happens to people eventually, it really shouldn't be such a sensitive subject.
i think that some movies have sex scenes with a deeper meaning like kelsey said about the marriage. I also think that some are just used for entertainment. I have to admit that i am one of those that when a sex scene comes along i kind of skip over that part of the book or show. But now that the author has mentioned some good points i will have to look deeper into those scenes to see about a deeper meaning than just the physical attraction between two people.
ReplyDeleteThe author's right when it comes to sex and meaning. The act of sex and the act of being intimate and love are not the same, in other words, making love is not the same as having sex. Sex is meant to be between two people who are in love with each other, but not just in the physical sense. Intercourse is not meant to be an everyday thing, it is meant for fun, enjoyment, and connecting with your partner to connect on all levels from mentally, physically, and emotionally. When you see that in a movie, it just blurts it out there so to speak.
ReplyDeleteWell its no surprise to me anymore that everything in literature probably means something else. But i do see how sex scenes can have different meanings probably deeper meanings in most cases, such as freedom or intimacy or a thousand others. I however havent encountered sex in a book.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that sex in a novel is more than just sex, and that it actually has a deeper meaning than what we see on the outside. Due to the fact that I do not read a lot of chicks flicks and i choose not to and never will, i have never really encountered a sex scene in a novel, so would would not be able to say first hang if it had a deeper more intimate meaning or not.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author. Sex usually has a deeper meaning than just simply having sex. I can’t really think of any specific scenes, but to be honest, a lot of the books I’ve gotten from the school library have had some sort of sex scene in them. Most of the time, the couples always have sex when some sort of crisis is going on. Whenever I come across those scenes, I don’t really think about them to see if they have some sort of meaning, but after reading this chapter, I will.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any books that the sex scenes have a deeper meaning. When I do come across those scenes in books I try to not to let those things get in my head because those images are usually the hardest to get out.
ReplyDeleteI do think that sex scenes have a deeper meaning most of the time. It all depends on the situation of each time individually, but most of the time yes. If a couple has a serious relationship going on and they have sex, it is deeper than just sex. I can think of many examples in Picoult's books. Whenever the couple goes through something hard or troublesome is usually when the sex scenes happen. In one of her books the couple had sex out of rage towards their daughters killer.
ReplyDeleteA lot of times, sex scenes to have a deeper meaning to them. I like Cassee's point about anger sometimes leading to sex scenes. I've read some novels where that has happend. Sex is such a personal inimate thing (in most cases), that I think there's pretty much always a deeper meaning.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author that sex scenes are included in books for a deeper meaning than what they are. It can set the tone or mood of the chapter or even the whole book. It can also help you establish different things about relationships in a story. So yes i believe sex scenes have a much deeper meaning.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any exact books that I've read that included a sex scene, but I do agree with the author. Sex scenes in novels normally do have a deeper meaning. All though, in our generation, I see sex scenes in some books, movies, etc that begin to not have any meaning at all.
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