Introduction to World Literature: Virginity Codes in Global Literature and Cultural Narratives

Cross listed with WGST 2005-01

What does it mean to be a virgin, and why does it matter, especially for women? 

Across time, cultures around the world have defined, policed, tested, and challenged the concept of virginity, often connecting it to gender norms, religion, and notions of honor and purity.  

This course examines global discourses on virginity, focusing on how it is constructed, enforced, and contested. Drawing on literature, academic scholarship, and human rights reports, we will explore how virginity is used to regulate sexuality and justify forms of gender-based violence, such as virginity testing, female genital mutilation, and honor killing.
 

The course is organized around thematic and regional case studies to analyze how textual critiques expose the "virginity myth" as a socially constructed ideal rather than a biological fact. We will also question why virginity remains significant to some cultures and how ideas about sexual autonomy, consent, and agency continue to evolve.