Summary

In "The Ballad of Sexual Optimism": "A Story We Are Told," Nelson references the essay "Undoing Sex: Against Sexual Optimism" by C. E. as an entrance into her discussion. A passage from the essay inspires Nelson's thoughts on sexual freedom, and how it relates to the act of sex itself. She makes references to the history of feminism in order to understand her thoughts on the subject. She wonders how "sexual optimism" might confuse cultural definitions of "sex, desire, or pleasure" (76).

Nelson's questions regarding sex naturally beget her questions regarding power. She references Foucault in order to better understand the relationship between power and freedom. She agrees with Foucault, that in order for power dynamics to exist, both parties within the dynamic must possess some degree of freedom (79).

In "Freedom From + Freedom To," Nelson considers the individual's freedom from certain...