The Twyborn Affair

(1979) is the last of Patrick White’s novels. It critically confronts the politics of sex and reveals White’s private, inner-world. The novel anticipated the representation of traditionally invisible and alternative models of sexuality in literature, which according to Robert Dessaix, were given topicality in the 1980s and 1990s due to a loosening of sexual repression. White however, did not intend his novel to be a piece of queer activism.

As a psychological tripartite novel, it shows the progress of an ambiguous gender-bender character who bears a new name for each part of his/her life. The protagonist is first Eudoxia (the sexual partner of an ageing Greek man), then Eddie Twyborn (who goes through a number of bisexual experiences), and finally Eadith Trist

1779 words

Citation: Vernay, Jean-François. "The Twyborn Affair". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8007, accessed 28 March 2024.]

8007 The Twyborn Affair 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.