This book examines the depiction of the social construction of male homosexuality, lesbianism, and women’s role in “The Bell”, “A Fairly Honourable Defeat”, “An Accidental Man”, “The Philosopher’s Pupil”, and “The Green Knight”. It also explores the representation of power dynamics in the portrayal of homosexuality in Murdoch’s fiction and takes a detailed look at the illustration of power-knowledge vis-a-vis incest in “A Severed Head and The Time of the Angels”. Murdoch’s representation of Platonic “bisexuality” in “Henry and Cato” and “The Book and the Brotherhood” is examined in depth, and is followed by an analysis of the representation of transvestism in “The Philosopher’s Pupil”, “The Green Knight”, and “The Black Prince”. The study finds that it is generally difficult to classify the genders and sexualities to Murdoch’s characters, and that Murdoch’s narrative style also evades classification under traditional rubrics of gender or artistic achievement. Tammy Grimshaw teaches at the University of Leeds.

Sexuality, Gender, and Power in Iris Murdoch’s Fiction