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| Radclyffe Hall born on 12 August 1880 died 7 October 1943 |
Like many books which were on the cutting edge in their time, this novel has been viewed for some while as dated, and almost quaint in its depiction of the gay lifestyle. In fact, the freedom implied in this phrase could not have been conceived of during the time of the 1928 publication of this pivotal book.
As might have been expected, the pompous pronouncements regarding its vileness, combined with legal furor, resulted in a huge increase in sales. Indeed, Ms. Hall was victorious in that there is no quicker way to gain public acclaim than to have one’s book banned or considered taboo.
Why did this novel, in which no word even approached obscenity, evoke such distress?
Radclyffe Hall, a lesbian called “John” by her circle, delineates the life of Stephen Gordon, whose name in itself can be seen as foreshadowing her later gender preference. Stephen’s wide-shouldered, narrow-hipped body and tendency to give voice to wild frustration soon convinced her parents of a subtle difference between herself and other small children. Her father’s approach was to study the works of scholars such as Havelock Ellis, in an effort to understand the psychological leanings of what was then called an “invert”.
Conversely, her mother felt horrified at the thought of her daughter becoming ostracized as a member of a marginal group, barely acknowledged as a splinter of British society. While this undercurrent of conflict caused Stephen confusion, it does not diminish the strength of her desire for intimacy with other women.
During WWI, women otherwise divided from one another, were given opportunities to develop a profound sense of community as nurses, ambulance drivers, and participants in other auxiliary branches. When Stephen and fellow driver Mary Llewellyn found their friendship taking on erotic overtones, Stephen feels torn. While aware she herself has no choice as to gender preference, she questions the fairness of bringing Mary into a painfully hidden life, while she might otherwise find conventional happiness.
Still, Once Mary voices her feelings to Stephen; the reader is given a sense of their physical union, with no details provided. (Arguably, this tends to be lacking in modern fiction, in its often tedious attempts at complete candor.)
Slowly, as their infatuation eases into domesticity, Stephen’s guilt increases as she senses a loneliness growing in Mary, due to the life-style imposed upon them by societal scorn. France has always tended to be more flexible and accepting of minorities than has other countries. Thus it is there that Stephen and Mary become part of a fringe group of homosexuals.
Perhaps the most moving passage occurs when a young man, desiccated by an abyss of drugs and misery, as he passes Stephen, murmurs “My sister”. Seeing her and Mary’s potential future mirrored in his despair, Stephen answers, “My brother.”
This encounter Forces her to view the emotional well of loneliness she as an invert can never escape. Still, perhaps Mary can. Stephen must then decide whether or what she must do in order to prevent Mary’s absorption into that seemingly depthless well.
As readers, we explore with Stephen the absolute hellishness of her ultimate choice.
