Homosexuality in Victorian Literature Essay - 1847 Words

In the late eighteeth century, notions of modesty and propriety meant that there were few ways in which sexuality could be discussed openly in a social setting. Gothic narrative served as an outlet. In Victorian Supernatural fiction, the anxieties surrounding homosexuality is a very prominent theme. However, due to the cultural status of homosexuality as taboo, the subject is heavily veiled in literature. In John Mead Faulkners `The Lost Stradivarius, the story appears to be about a young mans obsession with a wonderful musical instrument and a particular piece of music. Through carefully disguised metaphors, the story conveys pertinent information regarding the reception of homosexuality in England during the Victorian period.†¦show more content†¦The `unmentionable in his story inevitably carries sexual connotations, but homosexuality truly occupies the `sin that cannot be named. Rather than supporting conventional Victorian attitudes about sexuality like most gothic ficti on, Turn of the Screw actually critiques them. Henry Jamess Turn of the Screw can be an incredibly frustrating and difficult story. It hints at much, but rarely states anything directly. The sheer number of possible interpretations of the events it describes can make it a difficult read, but the openness of the text to multiple interpretations is also, in some ways, the point of the novel. Henry James constructed his story in order to elude to sexual topics without stating anything explicitly. The very language of the story allows sexual implications to proliferate almost endlessly. Jamess story takes these tendencies to such an extreme, however, that it verges on a parody of Victorian sexual anxieties. The characters and narrators refusal to address any of the obvious tensions directly seems to be a classic instance of denial. Ironically, the refusal to state anything explicitly breeds a ridiculous number of sexual connotations that includes every character in the story. Every word and every event is arranged so that it becomes almost impossible not to interpret it as sexual in some way. InShow MoreRelatedHomosexuality in Victorian and Elizabethan Literature.6608 Words   |  27 PagesAlexander Lucero AP English 12 Yu 5.17.12 Homosexuality Portrayed in Literature: Threat To Yourself and Those Around You The Victorian era and Elizabethan era had many homophobic attributes, just as todays society does. Gothic writers of the Victorian Age played off of the fear and immorality of homosexuality and used those feelings as a basis for their novels. Bram Stoker told a story about a vampire that challenged the Victorian gender roles and managed to reverse them, making men faint likeRead MoreDracula, By Bram Stoker1166 Words   |  5 PagesThe story of Dracula is well documented and has stood the test of time since it’s Victorian age creation. More times than not, literature writings are a reflection of the era from which they are produced. In the case of Dracula, Vampire literature expresses the fears of a society. Which leads me to the topic I chose to review: sexuality. The Victorian Era was viewed as a period diluted in intense sexual repression and I believe that Dracula effectively exploited this as the fear of sexuality wasRead MoreA Vampire’s Touch: Exploring Sexual Nat ure in Dracula926 Words   |  4 PagesDracula, the main antagonist in the novel, deals with his sexuality in a way the Victorian culture would deem as distraught. 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This breaking of Victorian control through the aesthetic movement madeRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde1243 Words   |  5 Pagesacclaimed literary works that defined the essence of late Victorian England. Posthumously recognized for his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and satiric comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde initially acquired criticism for his immoral and unconventional style of writing. Additionally, to his dismay, strife followed Wilde in his personal life as he was notoriously tried and incarcerated on allegations of â€Å"gross indecency† (homosexuality). Emotionally depleted post-imprisonment and strickenRead MoreHuman Sexuality And Its Impact On Society896 Words   |  4 Pagesmen did as they pleased. Prostitution was socially acceptable and not hard to find. Victorian Period The Victorian era brings to light a different perspective on sex and sexuality. Sex was not talked about in a polite society. â€Å"Studies of Victorian sexuality typically confuse three ways that sexuality can be constrained - oppression, suppression, and repression†¦. It is difficult to assess whether Victorians were sexually repressed, using that term in a strict way, because repression is an unconsciousRead MoreThe Boundaries Between Romantic Friendship and Erotic Love Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesThe Boundaries Between Romantic Friendship and Erotic Love A man who kissed or embraced an intimate male friend in bed did not worry about homosexual impulses because he did not assume that he had them. In the Victorian language of touch, a kiss or an embrace was a pure gesture of deep affection at least as much as it was an act of sexual expression, says Anthony Rotundo, attempting to define the boundaries between romantic friendship and erotic love, in relation to same gender friendships