Dawn Lesson Plan

Locate the following Chapter 8 excerpts in which Lilith reacts internally to Paul’s words and behavior: “She deliberately ignored the implications of this”; and “His words bit more deeply into her than she let him see.” What is going on in the moments just before and just after these excerpts? Why does Lilith hide her authentic experience from Paul, and is her choice conscious, instinctual, or a combination of these? Where else in the text does Butler deal with the theme of emotional guardedness, and how might this theme connect with Paul’s assault on Lilith at the end of the chapter?

This prompt invites students to think broadly over the course of the text, and to make...