All that devastates the eye: unraveling textures in The Lesbian Body

This article analyzes the presence of textures in The Lesbian Body, showing that the visual dimension constitutes a key component of Wittig’s Citation1973 work. Because textures imply a graphic aspect, haptic sensations, and a constant reframing of the body, I argue that The Lesbian Body presents itself as the crafting of a specific vision seeking a violent visual effect that strikes the reader’s eye and reshapes the perceptual organization of the body through the visual and material dimensions of language. The analysis explores how Wittig mobilizes colors, anatomical details, bodily fluids, and sensory descriptions to create a new corporeal imagery detached from patriarchal and heterosexual representations of women’s bodies. Drawing on Sara Ahmed’s work, the article ultimately proposes texture as a critical framework for understanding the coherence of Wittig’s materialist literary project.