The act of writing involves both memory and temporal processes, as writers must remember past experiences to craft their stories while anticipating future readers' reactions. Queer theory can provide insights into how these processes work by exploring how gender roles shape people's memories and expectations for the future. According to sociologist Lauren Berlant, queer time refers to a "temporal orientation that is marked by the experience of protractedness" because it challenges normative understandings of linear temporality and encourages an awareness of how time passes. In her book Cruel Optimism, she argues that this understanding of time can help people make sense of the loss they feel after experiencing trauma and allows them to imagine new possibilities for the future.
She discusses how African American women have used memories of slavery to create alternative visions of the future, such as through Afrofuturist art and music.
The role of memory in shaping personal narratives
Writers often draw on their own experiences to create stories that resonate with readers. Memories are stored differently depending on factors like age, gender, and culture, which influence how they inform our identities and worldviews.
White men tend to be more likely than others to view themselves as objective observers who can separate themselves from their emotions when recalling events. This perspective leads to a focus on facts rather than feelings, which may contribute to stereotypes about masculinity being emotionally distant or unfeeling. On the other hand, research suggests that women have better memory recall abilities for emotional details and experiences due to the way their brains process memories. Their attention to detail can lead to richly evocative descriptions and characterization in writing.
Collective cultural memories shape national myths and identity narratives, creating an intergenerational transmission of beliefs and values. By examining these processes, queer theory provides insights into how we remember and construct our pasts.
How societal norms impact expectations for the future
Society's expectations for gender roles also influence individuals' visions for the future.
Traditional ideas about heteronormativity assume that romantic relationships will progress toward marriage, childbearing, and domesticity - all of which reinforce patriarchal power dynamics.
This model excludes non-normative relationship types, such as same-sex partnerships, and can make it difficult for individuals who do not fit into these roles to imagine alternative futures. Queer time helps us question this linear progression and reimagine what might happen instead. Berlant argues that people living through trauma often experience "an excess of time," where they feel stuck in an endless loop of pain and loss. Her idea of protractedness challenges the notion that time should move forward neatly towards some predetermined endpoint by acknowledging how trauma affects one's ability to envision different possibilities. This lens allows individuals to acknowledge grief without becoming consumed by it and creates space for imaginative thinking beyond current limitations.
What does the study of queer time and temporality reveal about memory, loss, and futurity?
The study of queer time and temporality has revealed that it is not only the linear progression of past-present-future but also encompasses the experience of disrupting and subverting normative temporalities through embodied practices of resistance and resilience. Queer individuals often navigate multiple temporalities, which can be simultaneous and overlapping, and this can impact their memories, losses, and futures.