Article
Perfect Love in a Better World: Same-Sex Attraction between Girls
Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal
(2017)
Abstract
Victorian notions of the passionless female allowed for a wide latitude of socially acceptable relationships between girls in the nineteenth century that included crushes, romantic friendships, and, for women, Boston marriages. However, textual depictions of female sexuality were rapidly shifting in the early twentieth century. As sexologists’ writings moved toward a medical model focused on the prevention and treatment of homosexuality, the literature created and consumed by parents and school officials reflected growing anxiety about the potential sexual undertones of female friendships. The story of two women coming of age during this cultural shift humanizes the impact of shifting cultural norms on the lives of individuals and reveals the tragic consequences for those who resisted efforts to conform to heteronormative expectations regarding their future.
Keywords
- Boston marriage,
- crush,
- homosexuality,
- lesbian,
- romantic friendship,
- sexual identity
Disciplines
Publication Date
December 1, 2017
DOI
10.3167/ghs.2017.100307
Citation Information
Wendy L. Rouse. "Perfect Love in a Better World: Same-Sex Attraction between Girls" Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal Vol. 10 Iss. 3 (2017) p. 71 - 87 ISSN: 1938-8209 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/wendy_rouse/23/