The Hours Theme of Sexuality and Sexual Identity

With one of its main narratives set at "the end of the twentieth century" (1.2), a time when gay communities in America were still being devastated by the AIDS crisis, The Hours is a testament to one of the most tragic periods of LGBT history. At the same time, the novel is also an affirming exploration of lesbian identity, same-sex desire, and sexual expression in many forms. As Michael Cunningham works to plumb the depths of human experience, sexuality and sexual identity—and their socio-political ramifications, too—are often center stage.

1. How does Clarissa Vaughan seem to define her lesbian identity? To what extent is it an inherent part of her nature (in her view), and to what extent is it a political choice?
2. Where do Mary Krull and Clarissa Vaughan butt heads when it comes to differences between lesbian and queer identities?
3. How does Laura Brown react to and process the desire that she feels for her neighbor, Kitty?
4. What role does Laura Brown's sexual identity play in her marriage to Dan? Does she desire her husband?

Although none of The Hours characters self-identity as bisexual or pansexual, many of them seem to have fluid sexual identities. On the whole, the novel emphasizes open and exploratory forms of sexual expression more than fixed sexual orientations.

Compared to the attention that is paid to the sexualities of Laura Brown and Clarissa Vaughan, Virginia Woolf's sexual identity gets very little attention in The Hours. Although there are hints of Virginia's interest in women, the novel doesn't explore them in depth.