ABSTRACT
In order to accept Steven's attention, Sheba must descend to his level, confusing the aim of her work, collapsing the space between the two that the student must traverse in order to engage himself in the world of the teacher. In both If and Zero, even before the action begins, their titles tell their audiences about significant features of the two films. The Whips' power is exercised directly through their orders and the threat of beatings, but also indirectly as they model an achievement of mastery under the school's authorized discourses. The conflict between boys bodies and their burgeoning nature in relation to the rules that outlaw their inevitable becoming serves as a repeated theme in If and in Zero, and in both films is achieved through attention to the pubescent body as well as institutional concerns over students' sexuality.
