Suppressed Home Desires in the Refugee Experience: Literary and Pedagogical Approaches to Letters to Montgomery Clift by No?_l Alumit

Abstract

This project will be two -fold; it will examine the use of literary devices in queer diasporic themed literature and it will also include a secondary, pedagogical approach to the literature. The first section will be comprised of a critical analysis of the themes and characters and how these aspects work together. Dominant ideology, particularly heteronormativity in terms of gender and sexuality, is often put under a microscope within these works and by encouraging these works in a secondary education classroom, students will be inspired to question. Diasporic journeys to new home spaces and characters' establishments of (new) identities is highly applicable to this generation's young adults since their classrooms are growing more and more assorted in terms of beliefs, race, gender, and ethnicity, among other things. Teaching this genre of young adolescent literature will provide opportunities to teach about bullying, homophobia, and zero tolerance. Literature will be used to create a community of interconnectedness where students work with each other as opposed to against each other to fight language labels and fear or silence. Queer theory and anti-homophobia are important ways to question status quo and encourage students to become active participants that are capable and willing to participate in controversial conversation. I intend to use this project in my future teaching career as well as share it with other teachers to encourage maturity, respect, and a desire to learn.