A Study On The Features Of The Homosexual Images In Forster's Novels

Edward Morgan Forster was one of the most successful writers in Britain in the 20 th century,especially in the shaping of different images.At that time,people regarded a male homosexual as a sissy,even a sinner.It was caused by prejudice and discrimination against homosexuality in British society and the Church.Most of the homosexuals in literary works were negative images.However,Forster's homosexual image was different from the previous feminine image.Instead,his homosexual images were full of masculine beauty.In addition,we could find that researches on the features of his homosexual images were not deep enough according to the literature review.Therefore,this thesis uses the approaches of induction,intensive reading and literature survey,targeting the homosexual images of different classes inMauriceandThe Life to Come,to studythe features of Forster's homosexual imagescombining with his humanistic thoughtsand the influential factors of homosexual formation.The thesis includes six chapters:Chapter One is the introduction.It introduces Forster's life and works first,and then summarizes the current situation of domestic and international researches on him.At last,it puts forward the significance and purpose of this thesis.Chapter Two expounds Forster's humanistic thoughts in homosexuality.It can be divided into three aspects.The first is his sympathy for “the other”.The second is his questioning of the mechanism of heterosexual power.The third is his desire to establish the “connection” between men and men,different classes,heterosexuals and homosexuals.Chapter Three discusses homosexual images of different classes in Forster's main homosexual novels Maurice and The Life to Come.Forster's homosexual images can be divided into two categories,one belongs to the middle class,the other belongs to the lower class.In this thesis,it selects themiddle class Maurice and Clive,the lower class Alec and Vithobai as the research objects.Maurice,who had long been puzzled by his identity that bounded by his religion and class,finally released his inner homosexual identity after all the setbacks.Clive,who hadrecognized and accepted Plato's view on homosexuality since he was a child and he also influenced Maurice,eventually chose to hide his true identity through heterosexual marriage.Gamekeeper Alec belonged tothe bottom of society.His freedom and masculinity deeply attracted Maurice.At the end,they could live in seclusionand he could realize his homosexual identity because hewas bold and active.Tribal chief Vithobaiwas deceived by the Minister Paul.Paul used his love to achieve the Christian mission work,and then abandoned him.It not only gave riseto the tragic ending of deaths,but also thwartedVithobai's homosexual identity.Chapter Four describes the characteristics of Forster's homosexual images,including their confusion and avoidance of the identity,the abandonment of Christianity and the worship of masculine beauty.The writer assails the bondage of the class,thereligious persecution and thedistortion of the society through creating such homosexual images.Chapter Five is aboutthe influential factors of Forster's homosexual formation.It mainly includes two aspects: psychological factor and social factors.It explores the influence of the absence of father,the favorable environment for homosexuals and the edificationof foreign cultures according to Freud's psychoanalysis theory and the behaviorist theory.Chapter Six is the conclusion.It concludes the features of the homosexual images in Forster's novels,which are not only about the writer's homosexual identity,his miserable personal experience and humanistic thoughts,but also about the effects of psychological and social factors.Moreover,the features are related to his creative motivation.The writer tries to change people's prejudice against homosexuality and overthrow the fixed pattern of homosexuality.Forster's humanistic thoughts in homosexualityareexquisite and deep,expressing not only the depression of homosexuals because they can't get social recognition and acceptance,but also their craving for free and vibrant life.A study onhomosexual images and their features in Forster's novelsnot only contributes to gain a better understanding of Forster himself and his works,but also helps people to enhance the understanding of homosexuality and reduce their prejudice and discrimination.It enhances mutual understanding and tolerance,urging people to build a harmonious society between heterosexuals and homosexuals.