both individually and in terms of their relation to one another. These are Faulkner's explorations of sex and sexuality and of the societal role of the artist. Sex and Sexuality The opening line of Mosquitoes, where Talliaferro comically discusses the prowess of his "sex instinct," immediately introduces discussions of and allusions to sex and sexuality, a theme that plays a significant part in the interactions and conversations among characters in the novel. By trapping his characters on the Nausikaa for much of the book, Faulkner establishes a means of exploring a wide variety of sexual relationships as well as a way of questioning heterosexual gender roles. Due to their prevalence in the published book as well as the more explicit portions of the book that were excised before publication, many scholars have put forth views on why sex and sexuality play such a significant role in the novel. Some ascribe the explorations as merely a poeticized documentation of the various character types he witnessed during his time in New Orleans' bohemian community, a "site of flamboyant sexual masquerade and activity of all sorts." Scholars like Minrose Gwin, however, believe that this exploration had a deeper connection to Faulkner's personal experiences, arguing that he wished to put in question the period's culturally compulsory heterosexual norms. Faulkner breaks down these norms, bringing into conversation not only female homosexuality, but, perhaps more importantly, representations of ambiguously androgynous roles of characters that could serve to foster more discussion on the topic than the shock that the direct depictions of female homosexuality most likely caused. These roles were especially filled by Pat, with her androgynous, youthful body and unclear sexual orientation, as well as through the masculine role assumed by Eva Wiseman in many of the discussions surrounding artistic practice. The Societal Role of the Artist Coupled with, and seemingly inseparable from, Faulkner's exploration of sexuality is his attempt to home in on the roles of both art and 'the artist' in society. Though often clouded by the endless conversations of little value among characters not dedicated to art, it is evident that Faulkner attempts to use Mosquitoes to determine what it means to be an artist. Though many artists appear in the novel, the frequent portrayal of the Gordon-Julius-Fairchild trio makes it evident that these characters are the focus of the novel's examination of the role of the artist. Combined with the discussions of