Examines men's relationships with one another in English literature and the ways those relationships affect women. Central to this study is Sedgwick's conception of "male homosocial desire". She argues that the power of male homophobia has radically shaped the ideologies of men and women.



Hailed by the New York Times as "one of the most influential texts in gender studies, men's studies and gay studies," this book uncovers the homosocial desire between men, from Restoration comedies to Tennyson's Princess.