Human sexuality and sexual orientation are some of the most complex and multidimensional factors of development. Homosexuality and sexual differences have been typical for society since ancient times. Thus, these orientations were always considered as unusual and undesirable behavior contrasting with traditional social norms and values. The novel, The Well of Loneliness and Portnoy’s Complaint describe that parents and society, in general, have a great impact on the sexual orientation and sexual development of children. The problems faced by the main characters, Alexander Portnoy and Stephen Gordon, are a part of their early development and family relations.
The lesbian inclinations of the main character, Stephen Gordon, can be interpreted as a result of the upbringing and desire of parents to have a boy. The parents expected a boy, but when a mother gave birth to a girl, they were disappointed and gave their daughter a boy’s name. Since childhood, Stephen experienced problems and difficulties caused by her identity and emotional stress. An emphasis of that sort can be explained as misdirected gender orientation. The example of Stephen shows that the proper reinforcement of gender traits means educating boys and girls that they are males and females, similar in feelings and desires and abilities, yet diverse in biological ways and roles. Hall describes that the subject of sexual relations is debated repeatedly, and while the physical differences are quite obvious, the psychological ones, when they exist, are not always. The personal story and life troubles experienced by Stephen vividly portray that people do not live in a neuter world, no matter what some hair stylists, clothing, and other sex-markers would have them believe. For underneath the clothing and the hair is a man or a woman — although sometimes, as people have thought, something goes askew with that sexual identity (Butler 98). Hall portrays that false images and ideals of Stephen’s parents are the main causes of her lesbian behavior and sexual orientation. Hall underlines that lesbian relations are not a disorder or a way of life, but an emotion-filled issue (Bamforth 43).
In the novel, Portnoy’s Complaint, Alexander Portnoy tells the story of his life and tries to analyze his problems and causes of sexual indifference and problems. Roth gives some hits that childhood development and growth were the main stages in his life, and parents had a profound impact on his behavior patterns. Reinforcing suitable sexual traits, as suggested earlier, is important for healthy, normal psychological growth. But much of the ill-feeling aimed at erotic acts are grounded in legends and misconceptions, in strong definitions of “normal” and “abnormal,” and in morals that frame back to the days when humans first began keeping records (Butler 76). If insinuations and charges that men are all sinners, they can begin to be ignored, so society can move on to dispelling some of the other stereotypes about this group of men. Roth underlines that Alexander Portnoy is influenced by the ideals of his peanuts but is unable to accept and follow moral and ethical rules. The first one is that males are all painted and perfumed “swishy” ones. The difference in his situation, Roth adds, is not that Alexander Portnoy is homosexual, but that he is willing to openly acknowledge his feelings and his belief that there is nothing in those feelings to be ashamed of. Some men like Alexander Portnoy keep silent about their sexual preference, and few of their girlfriends know about it. More and more, the main character is declaring their choice publicly unacceptable (Bristow 87).
In both works, the authors portray that yearly years and parents have a great impact on the desires and values of children and their further life. Their preference, parents believe, is as satisfactory a form of behavior as heterosexuality. After examining each character’s family relationships and sexual growth, the authors conclude that it is difficult to find any noticeable factors that would set female homosexuals apart from normal people (Fuss 66). The erotic man, like Alexander Portnoy, can truly desire more adventures while the woman can desire another woman. Both male and female characters have sex with their partners, want only good for their loved ones, and wish to share their destinies with them. In short, the main characters can honestly feel committed love for another person, the same sort of love that man and woman feel for each other in general, a lust that means involvement to the exclusion of other people, with or without frequent sexual activity (Bristow 88).
In sum, sexual orientation and inclinations are a part of upbringing and growth during childhood. In both novels, parents influence the development of children and their sexual orientation. Often, this interpretation means that parents must not interfere overly with a child’s interest in and activities with the opposite sex and that parents should try to strengthen masculine traits in their young boys and feminine ones in their daughters. sexual upbringing and development are crucial for people as it determines their life chances and sexual relations in adult life. On the other side of it, a number of those people have followed laws that specifically support discrimination because of sexual preference.
Works Cited
Bamforth, N. Sexuality, Morals and Justice, London and Washington: Cassell, 1998.
Bristow, J. Sexuality, London and New York: Routledge, 2003.
Butler, J. Gender Trouble, London and New York: Routledge, 2002.
Hall, R. The Well of Loneliness. Anchor, 1990.
Fuss, D. Essentially Speaking: Feminism, Nature and Difference, New York and London: Routledge, 1998.
Roth, Ph. Portnoy’s Complaint. Vintage; international edition, 1994.