The Fosters Maurice - Term Paper Example

Written between 1913 and 1914 in the background of England in the Edwardian Age, E M Foster’s ‘Maurice’ broke the then-prevailing beliefs and notions about the traditional relationship in marriage. The novel was avant-garde for its production of same-sex love ending in a ‘happily ever after’. E M Foster was exceptional when he presented a theme of gay people capable of forming loving unions which lasted a lifetime because it was totally against the then beliefs about sexual relations and was also as sinful and unlawful.
Maurice is unable to recognize his own emotions until he meets Clive Durham. Subjected to the powerful emotions of adolescence, Maurice, an upper-middle-class Edwardian confronts unconscious desires. With the meeting with Clive Maurice begins his long, arduous climb to self –understanding. The response from Clive Durham in the form of sparks of love after several weeks was positive for him. But Maurice is found in confusion since the then-English society looked down upon the “love that dare not speak its name“ as contemptible. Clive had found homosexual affirmation in Greek Culture and the writings of Plato. Clive had a such attraction towards male bonding and to a great extent, he assists Maurice to discover himself and come to the expected which neither of them ever defines clearly. Clive reveals his mind “I have always been like the Greeks and didn’t know it”. For Clive homosexuality is a higher form of love, and is compared to divine love in which physical consummation is less important. But it proves that love is satisfied with love alone and will be starving to fulfill undefined desires. Maurice‘s reaction to Clive, when he comes to know about his slowly growing affection towards a woman and is finally planning to marry her, is burning and sympathetic. The author has failed to explain this re-orientation, but the readers are tempted to believe that the social pressure on him was high and favorable to an ordinary person.
Now Maurice struggles with his homosexuality without his partner and adviser. He tries to fulfill his sexual instincts with some other people and finally, he consults an American psychiatrist who labels his condition as ’congenital homosexuality’ that can be cured. But Maurice proves it is worthless by having a sexual connection with Alec. Alec seems to be of the same desire and chases Maurice in Cilve’s country estate Penge, where they unite. But the class difference disturbs Alec and he thinks that Maurice is treating him insolently. But the British Museum is the place where they come to realize the powerful emotions in them and pour them out without hesitation, in Foster’s words ‘flesh educating the spirit’. At last Maurice parts from Clive and he and Alec disappear into England’s green woods, never again to separate. At the same time, we see Clive living in pain to reunite with his lost lover. When Maurice explains this to Clive, he asks “Who taught you to talk like this?” and Maurice replies ‘“You, if anyone “. We understand that Clive was a failure in realizing his own emotions.

E M Foster assures that same–sex love can sustain without social concern. Maurice emphasizes that gays cannot become fully human, fully dedicative, but we embrace who we are. The then England constructed by Foster never accepted homosexual relations with gays and considered it unconventional. Foster presents homosexuality as an escape from the suffocating English class system which poisoned healthy relationships. Foster offers a supportive attitude towards gay relations to form a self-understanding and to make a statement about same–sex relations and their place in society.
The novel cannot be said to have a happy ending since that limits Maurice and Alec. They are not living in the society as pairs, but disappear with Alec into the greenwood. They hide in the darkness keeping away from society. But Clive has littered and is alone in the pain of a loveless life. Read More