[Hardy-l] Hardy and homosexuality
Jane E Thomas
J.E.Thomas at hull.ac.uk
Wed May 7 02:52:18 PDT 2008
While I agree with Ronald Knight that it is presumptuous, somewhat impertinent and irrelevant to speculate on the author's sexuality, his novels and poetry open up interesting avenues regarding 'same-sex' desire and I think Hardy was sympathetic to the real concerns and anxieties of homosexuals post the Labouchere Amendment to the Criminal Law Amendment Act that criminalised homosexuality in public and in private. Hardy was certainly in sympathetic correspondence with John Addington Symonds, Roden Noel, knew Oscar Wilde and had read Havelock Ellis (and Symonds) on homosexuality. He was also firm friends with Edmund Gosse who had speculated, anxiously, on the nature of his own affectionate regard for the sculptor Hamo Thorneycroft. I have recently published an article in Literature and History on this which has references that might be of use to you Tony:Thomas, Jane (2007), 'Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure and "Comradely Love"', Literature and History, 16 (2), pp. 1-15.
Let me know if you can't get hold of it and I'll email a copy to you. Richard Dellamora is interesting on Hardy and homosexuality as is Alan Sinfield (refs in article).
ps; it's useful to note perhaps that speakers and addressees are not always gendered within the poem which widens the field of meaning somewhat.
Best wishes
Jane
Dr J.E.Thomas
Senior Lecturer
Department of English
University of Hull
East Yorkshire
HU6 7RX
e-mail: j.e.thomas at hull.ac.uk
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Today's Topics:
1. Homosexy Hardy (Tony Fincham)
2. Hardy & T.E.Lawrence (RONALD KNIGHT)
3. Re: Homosexy Hardy (Eric Christen)
4. Re: Hardy & T.E.Lawrence (Tony Fincham)
5. Re: Homosexy Hardy (Tony Fincham)
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 08:10:52 +0100
From: "Tony Fincham" <wessex.heights at virgin.net>
Subject: [Hardy-l] Homosexy Hardy
To: "THA Talk" <hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu>
Message-ID: <000801c8b011$7cc3f9d0$0200a8c0 at useraba4f6c764>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone can help me.
I am researching into "Love" as portrayed by Hardy, Proust & Samuel Beckett using it as an avenue to explore
the evident links between Hardy's "Tentative Philosophy" and Beckett's wombtomb nihilism.
This is a post-PhD MA, under the auspices of the Dept of CLS at the Unikent, Canterbury (England).
One of the difficulties I am facing is that Love in Proust is largely - if not exclusively - homosexual;
love in Beckett is covertly - if not overtly - homosexual : I cannot use the word "gay" for Samland.
Hardy shares certain personal characteristics with Beckett & other known homosexuals with whom
Tom associated, such as T E Lawrence - particularly the dislike being being touched - the noli me
tangere. None of the 3 writers I am studying managed to father a child.
I am aware of the oft-quoted gay scenes in Hardy - the two Cythereas, Henchard & Farfrae etc - &
Hardy's relationship with Horace Moule but I am wondering if anyone else has a view on this aspect
of Hardy's life - or knows of any published articles?
Best wishes,
Tony Fincham.
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 08:45:35 +0100 (BST)
From: RONALD KNIGHT <ronald950 at btinternet.com>
Subject: [Hardy-l] Hardy & T.E.Lawrence
To: hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu
Message-ID: <676986.85867.qm at web86410.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Here we go again!
"...other known homosexuals with whom Tom associated, such as T.E.Lawrence". What proven evidence has Fincham for labelling Lawrence as such? None of the many who knew him closely have ever made that accusation. Only those who did not know him, particularly those who wished to denigrate him.
Resulting from his harrowing WW1 experiences he may be termed somewhat masochistic or something similar, but that does not mean homosexual.
Fincham's thesis seems to have got a "fail" before he has even got started.
Ronald Knight
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 07 May 2008 10:06:02 +0200
From: Eric Christen <ericjchristen at bluewin.ch>
Subject: Re: [Hardy-l] Homosexy Hardy
To: <hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu>
Message-ID: <C4472F8A.2D2F%ericjchristen at bluewin.ch>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> One of the difficulties I am facing is that Love in Proust is largely - if not
> exclusively - homosexual;
> love in Beckett is covertly - if not overtly - homosexual : I cannot use the
> word "gay" for Samland.
>
Tony, is your research mainly about Hardy the man or about characters
and situations in his literary works? In either case I cannot help you, but
I used to be familiar with Proust: we know that he was a homosexual, but in
his main work, LA RECHERCHE, OEUn amour de Swann¹ , OEA l¹ombre des jeunes
filles en fleurs¹, OELa disparue¹ or OELa prisonnière¹ - not to mention JEAN
SANTEUIL and other works, Love is heterosexual love. I wonder if you have
come across a book on Proust written in French and possibly in English by a
friend of mine, Edward Bizub (I forget the title). Forgive me for the titles
in French.
Anyway, good luck with your extra-ordinary research: I am looking
forward to hearing and reading more about it.
Eric
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 09:34:48 +0100
From: "Tony Fincham" <wessex.heights at virgin.net>
Subject: Re: [Hardy-l] Hardy & T.E.Lawrence
To: <hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu>
Message-ID: <001d01c8b01d$38facd80$0200a8c0 at useraba4f6c764>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Thank you for the somewhat predictably response - human sexuality is complex - labels simplify but
keep us away from the truth - I was not in any way trying to denigrate Lawrence by suggesting that he
preferred men to women for sex - but you have inadvertently focussed on the point I was trying to raise:
because most of Hardy's love poetry is directed towards women, he is labelled as "heterosexual" - I
was trying to scratch beneath the surface of this presumption!
Tony Fincham.
----- Original Message -----
From: RONALD KNIGHT
To: hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 8:45 AM
Subject: [Hardy-l] Hardy & T.E.Lawrence
Here we go again!
"...other known homosexuals with whom Tom associated, such as T.E.Lawrence". What proven evidence has Fincham for labelling Lawrence as such? None of the many who knew him closely have ever made that accusation. Only those who did not know him, particularly those who wished to denigrate him.
Resulting from his harrowing WW1 experiences he may be termed somewhat masochistic or something similar, but that does not mean homosexual.
Fincham's thesis seems to have got a "fail" before he has even got started.
Ronald Knight
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 09:39:35 +0100
From: "Tony Fincham" <wessex.heights at virgin.net>
Subject: Re: [Hardy-l] Homosexy Hardy
To: <hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu>
Message-ID: <002701c8b01d$e229f5c0$0200a8c0 at useraba4f6c764>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Re: [Hardy-l] Homosexy HardyDear Eric,
Thank - I am writing about Hardy, Proust & Beckett - I have plenty to go with Proust - A la recherche sharing with that
other great tomb The Holy Bible, the capacity to give the seeker whatever he wishes to find within its pages.
Plus adequate material on Beckett.
It is really Hardy - both man & literary creations - about which I was appealing for opinions.
Thanks for your reply & look forward to meeting you again in Dorchester in JUly.
Tony.
----- Original Message -----
From: Eric Christen
To: hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Hardy-l] Homosexy Hardy
One of the difficulties I am facing is that Love in Proust is largely - if not exclusively - homosexual;
love in Beckett is covertly - if not overtly - homosexual : I cannot use the word "gay" for Samland.
Tony, is your research mainly about Hardy the man or about characters and situations in his literary works? In either case I cannot help you, but I used to be familiar with Proust: we know that he was a homosexual, but in his main work, LA RECHERCHE, 'Un amour de Swann' , 'A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs', 'La disparue' or 'La prisonnière' - not to mention JEAN SANTEUIL and other works, Love is heterosexual love. I wonder if you have come across a book on Proust written in French and possibly in English by a friend of mine, Edward Bizub (I forget the title). Forgive me for the titles in French.
Anyway, good luck with your extra-ordinary research: I am looking forward to hearing and reading more about it.
Eric
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