Analysis of Social and Inner Conflicts in Annie Proulx's 'Brokeback Mountain' and Edward Morgan Forster's 'Maurice'.
ABSTRACT
Dalam penulisan skripsi ini, saya mengangkat isu penerimaan homoseksualitas
pada masyarakat yang heteronormatif. Saya membahas dua buku yang berjudul
Brokeback Mountain dan Maurice karena kedua buku tersebut menunjukkan adanya isu
mengenai hubungan homoseksualitas dan heteronormativitas. Pembahasan dilakukan
dengan menganalisis konflik sosial yang terjadi, sekaligus konflik internal yang dialami
oleh para tokoh-tokoh homoseksual pada kedua buku.
Dalam buku Brokeback Mountain dan Maurice, saya menemukan beberapa hal
dimana
masyarakat
yang
menganut
nilai-nilai
heteronormativitas
selalu
mendiskriminasi kaum homoseksual dengan bersikap dan berprasangka buruk. Mereka
juga menghakimi dan memberikan sanksi sosial kepada para homoseksual. Selain itu,
mereka
mampu melakukan
pembunuhan terhadap kaum
homoseksual
demi
keberlangsungan keamanan sosial di lingkungan tersebut. Hal ini terjadi disebabkan
adanya kesenjangan sosial di antara kedua pihak yang belum menemukan jalan keluar.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ········································································ i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ········································································· ii
ABSTRACT ························································································· iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ·································································· 1
Statement of the Problem ·································································· 3
Purpose of the Study ······································································· 3
Method of Research ········································································ 3
Organization of the Thesis································································· 3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND INNER CONFLICTS
IN PROULX’S BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN ········································· 5
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND INNER CONFLICTS
IN FORSTER’S MAURICE ····························································· 15
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION ················································································25
BIBLIOGRAPHY ·················································································· 30
APPENDICES
Synopsis of Brokeback Mountain ························································ 32
Synopsis of Maurice ······································································· 33
Biography of Edna Annie Proulx ························································· 34
Biography of Edward Morgan Forster ··················································· 35
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APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist are two male ranch workers. They meet at
Brokeback Mountain to work as sheepherders one summer. They share a tent and
spend time up in the mountain together. In addition, they finally realize their deep
affection towards one another. The attraction between them leads to a casual love
atmosphere and they have sex without considering there is any sexual
disorientation.
Summer leaves and they soon get separated. In December, Ennis marries
his fiancée and has two lovely girls from their marriage. The same thing happens
to Jack; he marries a Texan girl and has a boy from her. They lose contact with
each other but their lives seem to be difficult, as Ennis and Jack still love each
other. The fourth summer since they left Brokeback Mountain, Jack writes to
Ennis, and later, Jack visits him. They cannot hide their feelings when they meet.
They kiss and have sex at a motel. At one point, Jack and Ennis do not know what
has happened to them, but they know that they cannot live together since people
will soon kill one of them. They go back to live their lives as husbands and fathers,
32
but they still keep in touch and spend some time together so that they can show
their affection towards each other. After many years, Ennis hears bad news about
Jack, that Jack experiences an accident that results in death. Ennis believes the
accident had been arranged by the cowboys in order to eliminate gays from their
society.
SYNOPSIS OF MAURICE
Maurice Hall enters university, where he is introduced to homosexuality
by Clive Durham. Clive, an aristocratic Englishman, suddenly pronounces his
love to Maurice. At first, Maurice is shocked to hear the love declaration of love
from Clive, but he later starts to feel affection towards him and kisses him
passionately. After two years of having a relationship, Clive considers that his
homosexuality has a risk of being exposed, so he leaves Maurice and marries
Anne. Maurice is in pain because of his passion to Clive and he tries to cure
himself by going to a psychiatrist; instead of being cured, he has to face rejection
and disappointment. He also has therapy with Mr. Lasker Jones. This also does
not work. In the end, he meets Alec Scudder, Clive’s gamekeeper, and they feel a
strong attraction to each other. Unexpectedly, one night, Schudder comes to
Maurice’s room and they have their first night. Being afraid of what have
happened between them, Maurice visits his therapist again, Mr. Jones, and asks
him for help. Mr. Jones knows the therapy will not work on him and is unsure
about Maurice’s situation so he tells him to solve it by himself. One day, Maurice
and Schudder meet at the British Museum in London to discuss the problem. At
33
that moment, they realize their love for each other. Then they experience another
night together. Maurice and Schudder then intend to live together.
BIOGRAPHY OF EDNA ANNIE PROULX
Edna Annie Proulx was born in Norwich, Connecticut, United States, in
August 22, 1935. She is an American journalist and author. Proulx graduated cum
laude from University of Vermont in 1969 and received a Bachelor of Arts in
History. Later, she attended Sir George Williams University (now Concordia
University) and got her Master of Arts in 1973.
Proulx is thought to be a successful writer as she has got many literary
awards and prizes. Her first work of fiction is The Customs Lounge, a science
fiction work published in September 1963. By that time she had written many
works. Her outstanding novel appeared in 1993, and was acclaimed as National
Book Award winner. Its title is The Shipping News, which was later filmed in
2001. Moreover, her “Brokeback Mountain” was written in 1997, which won a
Pulitzer Prize-winning in 1998 and was also filmed in 2005.
Annie Proulx is a daughter of an English mother and French Canadian
father. She has married and divorced three times. She has three sons and a
daughter. She used to live in Vermont, but in 1994 she spent half a year in
northern Newfoundland then moved to Wyoming.
Source: “The Half-Skinned Steer: Annie Proulx Biography.”
34
BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD MORGAN FORSTER
E. M. Forster was born in January 1, 1879, in Marylebone, London,
United Kingdom. He is a son of Alice Clara nee Whichelo and architect Edward
Morgan Llewellyn Forster. He grew up at Rooksnest and attended the Tonbridge
School in Kent County. After that, Forster went to King’s College, Cambridge, to
study history, philosophy and literature. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in
1900. While he was studying at King’s, he joined a group known as the
Cambridge Apostles where later he and many of the members formed the
Bloomsbury Group. Forster was a writer of novels, short stories and essays, and
was famous for his ironic and well-plotted works. One of his short stories and
essays are “The Machine Stops” and “What I Believe”. The subjects of most his
works were about class difference, gender and homosexuality.
Forster published his first five novels in his lifetime, and his sixth novel
was published after his death. His first novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread, which
was published in 1905, was adapted into a film by Charles Sturridge in 1991. His
other novels were The Longest Journey (1907), A Room with a View (1908),
Howard’s End (1910), and A Passage to India (1924). A Passage to India was
considered his greatest work, taking a subject of the relationship between East and
West. Maurice (1913) was published posthumously in 1971 and gained
controversy, as the novel is about homosexual love set in England.
Source: Merriman, C. D., “E. M. Forster.”
35
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Heteronormativity holds norms that people are divided into distinct
genders, which are men and women, with their natural roles in life. This simply
tells us that the most natural sexual orientation is heterosexuality. According to
Emily Gray, “Heteronormativity is a term used by social theorists in order to
discuss the way in which gender and sexuality are separated into hierarchically
organised categories” (Gray). Moreover, she says that the heteronormative society
marginalizes the homosexuals from social life (Gray). That means the
homosexuals are always discriminated against and denied in the society.
Considering these facts, I found two novels describing the issue of
homosexuality in the heteronormative society. These novels are Brokeback
Mountain and Maurice. Brokeback Mountain is written by an American writer,
Annie Proulx, while Maurice is written by an English writer, Edward Morgan
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Forster. Proulx is a well-known American writer whose works have won several
book prizes. Besides, she is considered a successful writer because her story of
Brokeback Mountain is adapted into a film. Steve William states that, “Brokeback
Mountain stands chief amongst them as a story of note,” which shows that
Brokeback Mountain is a great novel. Moreover, Brokeback Mountain is “lauded
as her best work, Brokeback Mountain is a master-piece and it is a story in which
all the elements that make Annie Proulx an exceptional writer…” (William).
These statements prove that Annie Proulx is successful in her writing career.
Edward Morgan Forster is also a famous writer who has written some
well-written books. There is no doubt that Forster has written his works brilliantly,
as stated by Malcom Bradbury, “Forster is a major English author of the twentieth
century, a writer of great technical and intellectual significance whose work is
sufficiently complicated and dense to deserve close study and analysis” (Bradbury
1). In addition, he also wrote novels about homosexual people, which, in his era,
was rejected.
By using formalism in my analysis, I will focus on discussing the social
and inner conflicts of the major characters. According to Sylvan Barnet, conflicts
are difficulties, problems or complexities which arise. She also says that conflicts
are usually of two opposed wills or forces (Barnet 111). Social conflict is one type
of conflict, which means a struggle between man and man or man against society
(Shaw 91-92). Another type of conflict is internal, also known as psychological
conflict, which means a struggle between desires within a person (Shaw 92).
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1. What social and inner conflicts are experienced by the major characters of the
novels Brokeback Mountain and Maurice?
2. What are the causes of the social and inner conflicts?
3. What are the resolutions of the social and inner conflicts?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.
To show the social and inner conflicts experienced by the major characters in
the novels of Brokeback Mountain and Maurice.
2.
To show the causes of the social and inner conflicts.
3.
To show the resolutions of the social and inner conflicts.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
In writing this thesis, I use the method of library research. First, I read
Proulx’s and Forster’s novels as the primary texts. Then I read several reference
books and the Internet sources that are relevant to the topic to support my analysis
for additional information. Finally, I draw some conclusions of what is discussed.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
I divide the thesis into four chapters, preceded by the Acknowledgements,
the Table of Contents and the Abstract. In Chapter One, I present the Introduction,
consisting of the Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research, and the Organization of the Thesis.
In Chapter Two, I analyze the social and inner conflicts in Proulx’s Brokeback
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Mountain. In Chapter Three, I analyze the social and inner conflicts in Forster’s
Maurice. Chapter Four is the Conclusion. And the thesis ends with the
Bibliography and the Appendixes, consisting of the summary of the novels and
the biography of the authors.
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CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
After analyzing the conflicts of the two novels of Proulx’s Brokeback
Mountain and Forster’s Maurice, I would like to draw a conclusion. The social
and inner conflicts in the two novels are related to the issue of homosexuality in a
heteronormative society. The social conflicts happen between people having two
opposing ideas, which are heteronormativity and homosexuality. The first is
presented by the society or the representative of the society, or it can be people
who are merely under the influence of heteronormativity. The second is only
presented by the homosexuals. In addition to the social conflicts, the inner
conflicts happen to the homosexuals in both novels. The inner conflicts are all
about their sexual orientation.
In Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, I found four social conflicts and four
inner conflicts. The first social conflict happens between the homosexual couple
and the society. This is about the couple’s being a homosexual. At the end, the
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society kills one of the homosexuals. The second one happens between Ennis del
Mar and Jack’s father. This is about Jack’s will to be buried in Brokeback
Mountain after his death. This social conflict also shows implicitly the issue of the
acceptance of homosexuality in the heteronormative society. The third social
conflict happens between Ennis and Alma Beers. This is about Ennis being a
homosexual. The last social conflict happens between Jack and Ennis and is about
their living together. In addition to the social conflicts, there are also inner
conflicts which happen to the homosexuals. They are Jack Twist and Ennis del
Mar. Both of them experience the same inner conflicts twice about their sexual
orientation. This is because they believe in heteronormativity, but this is totally
different than their homosexual experiences.
In Forster’s Maurice, I found five social conflicts and three inner conflicts.
The first social conflict is between Maurice Hall and Clive Durham. This is about
their homosexuality. The second one is also between Maurice and Clive, showing
they have different ideas about the nature of homosexuality. The third social
conflict happens between Maurice and Dr. Barry. This is also about the existence
of homosexuality. The next social conflict happens between Maurice and Mr.
Borenius and is about the acceptance of homosexuality. The last social conflict
happens between Maurice and Alec Scudder. This is about their living together as
the homosexuals. Furthermore, the inner conflicts happen within the homosexuals,
who are Maurice Hall and Clive Durham. They are all about their sexual
orientation.
After analyzing the two novels, I find some similarities and differences
between them. The setting of time and place of the two novels are different.
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Brokeback Mountain is set in the mid twentieth century, the 1960s, in America,
while Maurice has a setting of time in the early twentieth century, 1913, in
England. However, these different settings do not change the ideas of
heteronormativity at that time and place in the society. The society refuses any
other sexual orientation except heterosexuality. Consequently, they disagree with
the idea of homosexuality and always discriminate against the homosexuals. In
America in the late 20th century, homosexuality was considered immoral
(Dancing). In addition, in 1978, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected
official in the States; however, he was assassinated (Roney). This proves that the
heteronormative society could not give any tolerance towards homosexuality. This
also happened in England in the early 20th century. According to Levy, by 1900s,
gays would have been prosecuted by law (Levy). The society thought that
homosexual
relationship
were
punishable;
therefore,
this
shows
how
homosexuality could not be accepted (Levy).
In both novels, the heteronormative society does not agree with the idea of
homosexuality, expressing it as something different and negative. In Brokeback
Mountain, the heteronormative society considers homosexuality only as an
abnormality; however, in Maurice, the heteronormative society thinks that
homosexuality is not only a disgrace but also an evil hallucination or a damnation.
This is because Forster relates his ideas of heteronormativity with Christianity.
Besides, Forster speaks through the character of Clive Durham, as the
representative of the society, that homosexuality is a disadvantageous choice, for
the homosexuals will get social punishment.
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Both of the societies in the novels show certain social punishment of
homosexuals. In Brokeback Mountain, the social punishment is presented clearly
as an actual punishment action against the homosexuals. They are mocked and
killed by the society. In Maurice, the social punishment is only spoken; the author
does not show that it actually befalls any of the characters.
The homosexuals in Brokeback Mountain, who are Jack Twist and Ennis
del Mar, are unable to decide whether to live together or not. This leads them to a
sad ending. They meet in several places over twenty years but never plan how to
stay together; later, the society finds out and kills one of them. The homosexuals
in Maurice, who are Maurice Hall and Alec Scudder, decide with confidence to
live together and leave the neighbourhood; therefore, it leads them to a happy
ending. This is because they finally have life that is in accordance with what they
expect.
After analyzing Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain and Forster’s Maurice, I
found that the social conflicts in the two novels indicate that the society cannot
accept homosexuals in their neighbourhood in any way. The social conflicts also
show that the homosexuals get social punishment and discrimination. In addition,
both novels describe the same social conflicts about the homosexuals who are
going to live together. The social conflicts tell us that the society does not accept
the homosexuals in the neighbourhood; therefore, they must either convert to the
society’s norms or leave the neighbourhood. Moreover, the inner conflicts happen
within the major characters concerning their sexual orientation. The inner
conflicts appear because the homosexuals are influenced by the idea of
heteronormativity, yet they experience a different sexual orientation.
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I conclude that the value of heteronormativity, which the society believes
in, restricts them to accept the other sexual orientation. This causes the
homosexuals to be discriminated against. Moreover, they will be punished
mentally and physically if they do not change or convert to the society. In fact, the
society can murder the homosexuals. I think this social gap between the society
and the homosexuals happens because the society considers homosexuality as
sexual immorality and as an orientation that harms their comfort zone, yet the
homosexuals think that the society does not understand homosexuality if they
simply discriminate against them. Nevertheless, homosexuality is something
different which needs a process to find acceptance by the society, as can be
concluded from the different settings in the novels.
In my opinion, Forster explains homosexuality in the novel of Maurice
more clearly than Proulx does in Brokeback Mountain. Furthermore, Forster
relates the idea of heteronormativity to the Holy Bible. Nonetheless, I personally
like the way Proulx presents her ideas through her writing. I think she creates
strong images of the homosexual relationship between two men, and this becomes
the most powerful attraction to readers. I believe both of the authors write their
masterpieces in order to convey awareness of the issue of homosexuality in the
heteronormative society.
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BIBLIOGRAHPHY
Primary Texts
Forster, Edward Morgan. Maurice. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1971.
Print.
Proulx, Annie. Brokeback Mountain. New York: Scribner, 1997. Print.
References
Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Literature. London: Batsford
Academic & Educational. 1986. Print.
Bradbury, Malcolm, ed. ForsterA Collection of Critical Essays. U.S.A.:
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N. J., 1966. Print.
Dancing, Ted. “Homosexuals as Second Class Citizens in 20 th Century America
and Today.” associatedcontent, 2006. Web. 5 May 2011.
Gray, Emily. “What is heteronormativity?”. GEAGender and Education
Association, 2011. Web. 5 May 2011.
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“The Half-Skinned Steer: Annie Proulx Biography.” Enotes, 2010. Web. 22 Apr.
2010.
Levy, Michael. “Gay Right Movements.” History, 2009. Web. 5 May. 2011.
Merriman, C. D.. ”E. M. Forster.” The Literature Network, 2007. Web. 22 Apr.
2010.
Roney, Sharon. “Gay Rights Movement In America.” EduBook, 2009. Web. 6
May. 2011.
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literary Terms. United States of America: McGrawHill, 1972. 91-92. Print.
William, Steve. ”Close Range by Annie Proulx Reviewed.” suite101, 2009. Web.
28 Apr. 2010.
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Dalam penulisan skripsi ini, saya mengangkat isu penerimaan homoseksualitas
pada masyarakat yang heteronormatif. Saya membahas dua buku yang berjudul
Brokeback Mountain dan Maurice karena kedua buku tersebut menunjukkan adanya isu
mengenai hubungan homoseksualitas dan heteronormativitas. Pembahasan dilakukan
dengan menganalisis konflik sosial yang terjadi, sekaligus konflik internal yang dialami
oleh para tokoh-tokoh homoseksual pada kedua buku.
Dalam buku Brokeback Mountain dan Maurice, saya menemukan beberapa hal
dimana
masyarakat
yang
menganut
nilai-nilai
heteronormativitas
selalu
mendiskriminasi kaum homoseksual dengan bersikap dan berprasangka buruk. Mereka
juga menghakimi dan memberikan sanksi sosial kepada para homoseksual. Selain itu,
mereka
mampu melakukan
pembunuhan terhadap kaum
homoseksual
demi
keberlangsungan keamanan sosial di lingkungan tersebut. Hal ini terjadi disebabkan
adanya kesenjangan sosial di antara kedua pihak yang belum menemukan jalan keluar.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ········································································ i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ········································································· ii
ABSTRACT ························································································· iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ·································································· 1
Statement of the Problem ·································································· 3
Purpose of the Study ······································································· 3
Method of Research ········································································ 3
Organization of the Thesis································································· 3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND INNER CONFLICTS
IN PROULX’S BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN ········································· 5
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND INNER CONFLICTS
IN FORSTER’S MAURICE ····························································· 15
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION ················································································25
BIBLIOGRAPHY ·················································································· 30
APPENDICES
Synopsis of Brokeback Mountain ························································ 32
Synopsis of Maurice ······································································· 33
Biography of Edna Annie Proulx ························································· 34
Biography of Edward Morgan Forster ··················································· 35
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APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist are two male ranch workers. They meet at
Brokeback Mountain to work as sheepherders one summer. They share a tent and
spend time up in the mountain together. In addition, they finally realize their deep
affection towards one another. The attraction between them leads to a casual love
atmosphere and they have sex without considering there is any sexual
disorientation.
Summer leaves and they soon get separated. In December, Ennis marries
his fiancée and has two lovely girls from their marriage. The same thing happens
to Jack; he marries a Texan girl and has a boy from her. They lose contact with
each other but their lives seem to be difficult, as Ennis and Jack still love each
other. The fourth summer since they left Brokeback Mountain, Jack writes to
Ennis, and later, Jack visits him. They cannot hide their feelings when they meet.
They kiss and have sex at a motel. At one point, Jack and Ennis do not know what
has happened to them, but they know that they cannot live together since people
will soon kill one of them. They go back to live their lives as husbands and fathers,
32
but they still keep in touch and spend some time together so that they can show
their affection towards each other. After many years, Ennis hears bad news about
Jack, that Jack experiences an accident that results in death. Ennis believes the
accident had been arranged by the cowboys in order to eliminate gays from their
society.
SYNOPSIS OF MAURICE
Maurice Hall enters university, where he is introduced to homosexuality
by Clive Durham. Clive, an aristocratic Englishman, suddenly pronounces his
love to Maurice. At first, Maurice is shocked to hear the love declaration of love
from Clive, but he later starts to feel affection towards him and kisses him
passionately. After two years of having a relationship, Clive considers that his
homosexuality has a risk of being exposed, so he leaves Maurice and marries
Anne. Maurice is in pain because of his passion to Clive and he tries to cure
himself by going to a psychiatrist; instead of being cured, he has to face rejection
and disappointment. He also has therapy with Mr. Lasker Jones. This also does
not work. In the end, he meets Alec Scudder, Clive’s gamekeeper, and they feel a
strong attraction to each other. Unexpectedly, one night, Schudder comes to
Maurice’s room and they have their first night. Being afraid of what have
happened between them, Maurice visits his therapist again, Mr. Jones, and asks
him for help. Mr. Jones knows the therapy will not work on him and is unsure
about Maurice’s situation so he tells him to solve it by himself. One day, Maurice
and Schudder meet at the British Museum in London to discuss the problem. At
33
that moment, they realize their love for each other. Then they experience another
night together. Maurice and Schudder then intend to live together.
BIOGRAPHY OF EDNA ANNIE PROULX
Edna Annie Proulx was born in Norwich, Connecticut, United States, in
August 22, 1935. She is an American journalist and author. Proulx graduated cum
laude from University of Vermont in 1969 and received a Bachelor of Arts in
History. Later, she attended Sir George Williams University (now Concordia
University) and got her Master of Arts in 1973.
Proulx is thought to be a successful writer as she has got many literary
awards and prizes. Her first work of fiction is The Customs Lounge, a science
fiction work published in September 1963. By that time she had written many
works. Her outstanding novel appeared in 1993, and was acclaimed as National
Book Award winner. Its title is The Shipping News, which was later filmed in
2001. Moreover, her “Brokeback Mountain” was written in 1997, which won a
Pulitzer Prize-winning in 1998 and was also filmed in 2005.
Annie Proulx is a daughter of an English mother and French Canadian
father. She has married and divorced three times. She has three sons and a
daughter. She used to live in Vermont, but in 1994 she spent half a year in
northern Newfoundland then moved to Wyoming.
Source: “The Half-Skinned Steer: Annie Proulx Biography.”
34
BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD MORGAN FORSTER
E. M. Forster was born in January 1, 1879, in Marylebone, London,
United Kingdom. He is a son of Alice Clara nee Whichelo and architect Edward
Morgan Llewellyn Forster. He grew up at Rooksnest and attended the Tonbridge
School in Kent County. After that, Forster went to King’s College, Cambridge, to
study history, philosophy and literature. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in
1900. While he was studying at King’s, he joined a group known as the
Cambridge Apostles where later he and many of the members formed the
Bloomsbury Group. Forster was a writer of novels, short stories and essays, and
was famous for his ironic and well-plotted works. One of his short stories and
essays are “The Machine Stops” and “What I Believe”. The subjects of most his
works were about class difference, gender and homosexuality.
Forster published his first five novels in his lifetime, and his sixth novel
was published after his death. His first novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread, which
was published in 1905, was adapted into a film by Charles Sturridge in 1991. His
other novels were The Longest Journey (1907), A Room with a View (1908),
Howard’s End (1910), and A Passage to India (1924). A Passage to India was
considered his greatest work, taking a subject of the relationship between East and
West. Maurice (1913) was published posthumously in 1971 and gained
controversy, as the novel is about homosexual love set in England.
Source: Merriman, C. D., “E. M. Forster.”
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Heteronormativity holds norms that people are divided into distinct
genders, which are men and women, with their natural roles in life. This simply
tells us that the most natural sexual orientation is heterosexuality. According to
Emily Gray, “Heteronormativity is a term used by social theorists in order to
discuss the way in which gender and sexuality are separated into hierarchically
organised categories” (Gray). Moreover, she says that the heteronormative society
marginalizes the homosexuals from social life (Gray). That means the
homosexuals are always discriminated against and denied in the society.
Considering these facts, I found two novels describing the issue of
homosexuality in the heteronormative society. These novels are Brokeback
Mountain and Maurice. Brokeback Mountain is written by an American writer,
Annie Proulx, while Maurice is written by an English writer, Edward Morgan
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Forster. Proulx is a well-known American writer whose works have won several
book prizes. Besides, she is considered a successful writer because her story of
Brokeback Mountain is adapted into a film. Steve William states that, “Brokeback
Mountain stands chief amongst them as a story of note,” which shows that
Brokeback Mountain is a great novel. Moreover, Brokeback Mountain is “lauded
as her best work, Brokeback Mountain is a master-piece and it is a story in which
all the elements that make Annie Proulx an exceptional writer…” (William).
These statements prove that Annie Proulx is successful in her writing career.
Edward Morgan Forster is also a famous writer who has written some
well-written books. There is no doubt that Forster has written his works brilliantly,
as stated by Malcom Bradbury, “Forster is a major English author of the twentieth
century, a writer of great technical and intellectual significance whose work is
sufficiently complicated and dense to deserve close study and analysis” (Bradbury
1). In addition, he also wrote novels about homosexual people, which, in his era,
was rejected.
By using formalism in my analysis, I will focus on discussing the social
and inner conflicts of the major characters. According to Sylvan Barnet, conflicts
are difficulties, problems or complexities which arise. She also says that conflicts
are usually of two opposed wills or forces (Barnet 111). Social conflict is one type
of conflict, which means a struggle between man and man or man against society
(Shaw 91-92). Another type of conflict is internal, also known as psychological
conflict, which means a struggle between desires within a person (Shaw 92).
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1. What social and inner conflicts are experienced by the major characters of the
novels Brokeback Mountain and Maurice?
2. What are the causes of the social and inner conflicts?
3. What are the resolutions of the social and inner conflicts?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.
To show the social and inner conflicts experienced by the major characters in
the novels of Brokeback Mountain and Maurice.
2.
To show the causes of the social and inner conflicts.
3.
To show the resolutions of the social and inner conflicts.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
In writing this thesis, I use the method of library research. First, I read
Proulx’s and Forster’s novels as the primary texts. Then I read several reference
books and the Internet sources that are relevant to the topic to support my analysis
for additional information. Finally, I draw some conclusions of what is discussed.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
I divide the thesis into four chapters, preceded by the Acknowledgements,
the Table of Contents and the Abstract. In Chapter One, I present the Introduction,
consisting of the Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research, and the Organization of the Thesis.
In Chapter Two, I analyze the social and inner conflicts in Proulx’s Brokeback
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Mountain. In Chapter Three, I analyze the social and inner conflicts in Forster’s
Maurice. Chapter Four is the Conclusion. And the thesis ends with the
Bibliography and the Appendixes, consisting of the summary of the novels and
the biography of the authors.
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CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
After analyzing the conflicts of the two novels of Proulx’s Brokeback
Mountain and Forster’s Maurice, I would like to draw a conclusion. The social
and inner conflicts in the two novels are related to the issue of homosexuality in a
heteronormative society. The social conflicts happen between people having two
opposing ideas, which are heteronormativity and homosexuality. The first is
presented by the society or the representative of the society, or it can be people
who are merely under the influence of heteronormativity. The second is only
presented by the homosexuals. In addition to the social conflicts, the inner
conflicts happen to the homosexuals in both novels. The inner conflicts are all
about their sexual orientation.
In Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, I found four social conflicts and four
inner conflicts. The first social conflict happens between the homosexual couple
and the society. This is about the couple’s being a homosexual. At the end, the
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society kills one of the homosexuals. The second one happens between Ennis del
Mar and Jack’s father. This is about Jack’s will to be buried in Brokeback
Mountain after his death. This social conflict also shows implicitly the issue of the
acceptance of homosexuality in the heteronormative society. The third social
conflict happens between Ennis and Alma Beers. This is about Ennis being a
homosexual. The last social conflict happens between Jack and Ennis and is about
their living together. In addition to the social conflicts, there are also inner
conflicts which happen to the homosexuals. They are Jack Twist and Ennis del
Mar. Both of them experience the same inner conflicts twice about their sexual
orientation. This is because they believe in heteronormativity, but this is totally
different than their homosexual experiences.
In Forster’s Maurice, I found five social conflicts and three inner conflicts.
The first social conflict is between Maurice Hall and Clive Durham. This is about
their homosexuality. The second one is also between Maurice and Clive, showing
they have different ideas about the nature of homosexuality. The third social
conflict happens between Maurice and Dr. Barry. This is also about the existence
of homosexuality. The next social conflict happens between Maurice and Mr.
Borenius and is about the acceptance of homosexuality. The last social conflict
happens between Maurice and Alec Scudder. This is about their living together as
the homosexuals. Furthermore, the inner conflicts happen within the homosexuals,
who are Maurice Hall and Clive Durham. They are all about their sexual
orientation.
After analyzing the two novels, I find some similarities and differences
between them. The setting of time and place of the two novels are different.
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Brokeback Mountain is set in the mid twentieth century, the 1960s, in America,
while Maurice has a setting of time in the early twentieth century, 1913, in
England. However, these different settings do not change the ideas of
heteronormativity at that time and place in the society. The society refuses any
other sexual orientation except heterosexuality. Consequently, they disagree with
the idea of homosexuality and always discriminate against the homosexuals. In
America in the late 20th century, homosexuality was considered immoral
(Dancing). In addition, in 1978, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected
official in the States; however, he was assassinated (Roney). This proves that the
heteronormative society could not give any tolerance towards homosexuality. This
also happened in England in the early 20th century. According to Levy, by 1900s,
gays would have been prosecuted by law (Levy). The society thought that
homosexual
relationship
were
punishable;
therefore,
this
shows
how
homosexuality could not be accepted (Levy).
In both novels, the heteronormative society does not agree with the idea of
homosexuality, expressing it as something different and negative. In Brokeback
Mountain, the heteronormative society considers homosexuality only as an
abnormality; however, in Maurice, the heteronormative society thinks that
homosexuality is not only a disgrace but also an evil hallucination or a damnation.
This is because Forster relates his ideas of heteronormativity with Christianity.
Besides, Forster speaks through the character of Clive Durham, as the
representative of the society, that homosexuality is a disadvantageous choice, for
the homosexuals will get social punishment.
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Both of the societies in the novels show certain social punishment of
homosexuals. In Brokeback Mountain, the social punishment is presented clearly
as an actual punishment action against the homosexuals. They are mocked and
killed by the society. In Maurice, the social punishment is only spoken; the author
does not show that it actually befalls any of the characters.
The homosexuals in Brokeback Mountain, who are Jack Twist and Ennis
del Mar, are unable to decide whether to live together or not. This leads them to a
sad ending. They meet in several places over twenty years but never plan how to
stay together; later, the society finds out and kills one of them. The homosexuals
in Maurice, who are Maurice Hall and Alec Scudder, decide with confidence to
live together and leave the neighbourhood; therefore, it leads them to a happy
ending. This is because they finally have life that is in accordance with what they
expect.
After analyzing Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain and Forster’s Maurice, I
found that the social conflicts in the two novels indicate that the society cannot
accept homosexuals in their neighbourhood in any way. The social conflicts also
show that the homosexuals get social punishment and discrimination. In addition,
both novels describe the same social conflicts about the homosexuals who are
going to live together. The social conflicts tell us that the society does not accept
the homosexuals in the neighbourhood; therefore, they must either convert to the
society’s norms or leave the neighbourhood. Moreover, the inner conflicts happen
within the major characters concerning their sexual orientation. The inner
conflicts appear because the homosexuals are influenced by the idea of
heteronormativity, yet they experience a different sexual orientation.
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I conclude that the value of heteronormativity, which the society believes
in, restricts them to accept the other sexual orientation. This causes the
homosexuals to be discriminated against. Moreover, they will be punished
mentally and physically if they do not change or convert to the society. In fact, the
society can murder the homosexuals. I think this social gap between the society
and the homosexuals happens because the society considers homosexuality as
sexual immorality and as an orientation that harms their comfort zone, yet the
homosexuals think that the society does not understand homosexuality if they
simply discriminate against them. Nevertheless, homosexuality is something
different which needs a process to find acceptance by the society, as can be
concluded from the different settings in the novels.
In my opinion, Forster explains homosexuality in the novel of Maurice
more clearly than Proulx does in Brokeback Mountain. Furthermore, Forster
relates the idea of heteronormativity to the Holy Bible. Nonetheless, I personally
like the way Proulx presents her ideas through her writing. I think she creates
strong images of the homosexual relationship between two men, and this becomes
the most powerful attraction to readers. I believe both of the authors write their
masterpieces in order to convey awareness of the issue of homosexuality in the
heteronormative society.
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BIBLIOGRAHPHY
Primary Texts
Forster, Edward Morgan. Maurice. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1971.
Print.
Proulx, Annie. Brokeback Mountain. New York: Scribner, 1997. Print.
References
Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Literature. London: Batsford
Academic & Educational. 1986. Print.
Bradbury, Malcolm, ed. ForsterA Collection of Critical Essays. U.S.A.:
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N. J., 1966. Print.
Dancing, Ted. “Homosexuals as Second Class Citizens in 20 th Century America
and Today.” associatedcontent, 2006. Web. 5 May 2011.
Gray, Emily. “What is heteronormativity?”. GEAGender and Education
Association, 2011. Web. 5 May 2011.
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“The Half-Skinned Steer: Annie Proulx Biography.” Enotes, 2010. Web. 22 Apr.
2010.
Levy, Michael. “Gay Right Movements.” History, 2009. Web. 5 May. 2011.
Merriman, C. D.. ”E. M. Forster.” The Literature Network, 2007. Web. 22 Apr.
2010.
Roney, Sharon. “Gay Rights Movement In America.” EduBook, 2009. Web. 6
May. 2011.
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literary Terms. United States of America: McGrawHill, 1972. 91-92. Print.
William, Steve. ”Close Range by Annie Proulx Reviewed.” suite101, 2009. Web.
28 Apr. 2010.
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