'Homosexuality' in Buddah of Suburbia- A Critical Humanistic and Psychological Study.
In this research paper, I contend to explore 'Homosexuality' in Hanif Qureshi's novel Buddah of Suburbia in the light of Modern Humanistic and Feministic Social Psychological researches. This critical study renders an interpretative insight into the psychological evolution of the characters' self identity. It concludes that inhibitions in the developmental process during the early period of childhood creates disruptions in structuring of an individual's (character's) self identity as well as gender identity.
I will first explore how these personal childhood deficiencies collide with the external cultural and racial pressures inasmuch as to become the prime causative of Jamila's homosexual orientation (inclinations) in her later years of life. Then, a brief account will be given on how a homosexual relationship in Karim's adolescence serves as a tool for the reconciliation of his 'Self-identity', thereby defining a steady personality for the later years.
Jamil's homosexual fixation in the later years suggest an unsuccessful completion of the separation-individuation phase, a developmental process decisive for gender-defines self-identity, (425,Walsh.Ch.13) during her childhood resulting in an unsuccessful growth of her feminine self. This initially led to the development of a masculine hard character which she used to defend her inner femininity and later it becomes a weapon to combat her personal, cultural and racial discrimination against women.
The causes of Jamila's homosexual behaviour can be first traced at the personal level. She is brought up in a monogamgus family wherein her father, Anwar, fills a supposed standard patriarchal role and her mother, Jeeta, is a traditional submissive wife. Haroon ironically points out to Anwar that 'you have potentially more that one girl and one girl only in your entire lifetime's seed-production, eh?' (1.iv). He scorns to be called a 'weak seed' by Haroon who gloats to be a father of two sons. The refrain in the words 'one girl' and Anwar's condemnation towards his wife for producing 'only one daughter' (1.iv), is evident that Jamila had to face an uncompensatory sense of loss in a house depreciatory to women. Jamila confesses to Karim that her father had invariably beaten her mother in the past. She explains 'he used to hit her, until I told her him I'd cut off his hair with a carved knife, if he did it again' (1,iv,58). This proves that the sexually repressive environment deprived Jamila of the requisite appreciation and security a girl needs to value her intrinsic self and hitherto achieve an inner maturity.
In such circumstances it is inevitable for Jamila to become either her mother's prototype or the contrary. In her case it was the latter. Dr Wilhelelm Reich states,
'A typical reaction of the girl to a brutal father is the formation of a masculine hard character. This serves as a defensive armour against the infantile feminine attitude towards the father which had to be repressed because of his hardness and lovelessness. This character structure can be maintained till puberty but if disappointments in the father's image persist up to this age, it may give rise to a masculine identification which had failed to materalize in childhood. Because it is in puberty that vaginal eroticism comes to form the last basis of femininity. Thus, it is then that a consistent disappointment in the father initiates the change from the feminine to the masculine character' (Showalter Elaine ed.Part 4.239).
Karim explains Jamila to be 'forceful and enthusiastic. She always seemed to be leaning forward, arguing, persuading' (4,51). Karim further describes that Jamila had a dark moustache too, which for along time was more impressive than his own. Her disposition ensures that a change from a feminine to a masculine character had already initiated from an early age. This eventually becomes a part of Jamila's 'Self' called 'Ego Development' or 'masculinity complex'. The term explains that the female refuses to give up activities characteristics of males in a desire to acquire equanimity and equality in a man's world (261. Showalter). A detailed case study of female homosexuality underscores that masculinity complex contributes to the development of sexual orientation (412, Walsh).
Jamila's preference to homosexuality likens to that of Adriene Riche's (contemporary American poet). Homosexuality for both, Jamila and Riche, is to assert their unwillingness to be dependent on men. 'Aunt Jennifer's Tiger', an autobiographical poem by Adriene Riche, conveys a disillusionment of her marital life and leaps out to pronounce dissatisfaction similar to the female masses in a patriarchal society. Both the females enter into lesbianism after marrying and having children. It is a 'Coming Out' as a lesbian 'who' is 'out' represents a threat to traditional cultural assumptions about male supremacy. It also involves a willingness to combat social, personal, legal and political discrimination against Lesbian women (Walsh, Ch.13,417).
It is an expression of Jamila's sexual liberation against the traditionally submissive role patterned for the female sex. It is assumed that heterosexuality equals the sexuality of (male) dominance and (female) submissive (58. Wilkinson). Her sexual relationship with Karim demonstrates her dominance (male) over him. Karim explains that Jamila was always putting me down, she was so powerful, so in control and certain what to do about everything (1,iv.55). Karim enjoyed this experience because she provided to him the strength and hardness men possessed. He liked being handled by men (iv.52).
However, Jamila's stance is complicated than Riche's because Jamila has to face dual pressures: one coming from inside her own culture and the burden of prejudices and the racism imposed by the host society. She represents the second generation of an Asian immigrant family settled in London. She is a British citizen by birth but this liberty is coerced by the cultural pressures of her ancestors and by the country of her origin. She is forced to marry a dilapidated and unknown person, Changez, on the other hand where she is supposed to be English, for the English she and her mates are wogs and Pakis (Book 1.iv.53).
The Feminist Social Psychologies assert that the immigrant women have 'several mountains' on their back, the two most obvious ones being the traditional and the oppression from outside. The racism of the dominant society…..the immigrant Lesbians, however, are more burdened with an additional guilt of exposing their self identity. Thus, for the lesbians the Coming Out process means that they are no longer secretive about their sexual orientation and life style (92.Wilkinson).
Karim explains that Jamila had wanted to become Simone de Beavevoir (1.iv.52), a French novelist who became known as an influential feminist theorist and a key exponent of existentialist freedom and choice. Karim adds that 'jamila exercised everyday, learnt karate and Judo as if she was preparing for the guerrilla war when the whites finally turned on the blacks and Asians trying to force them into gas chambers' (1.iv.56). The external and internal intensified the already existing anxieties due to the unsatisfactory development of Jamila's 'Self'. Jamila had already been discontented with her father. She loved Simon (273,2.18) but he left her for America to pursue a career.
Psychoanalysis proves that homosexuality also provides temporary relief from anxiety (edit by Walsh.ch 13.421). After her homosexual relationship with Joanna Karim describes that 'there was something quicker, lighter and less serious in her now and she seemed to laugh more easily' (273,bk 2.ch 18). Thus, homosexuality helped Jamila save her 'self' from anxiety and attain a temporary state of equilibrium.
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Homosexual relationship for Karim enables him to attain his 'Self-Ideal'. The Genetic Theory concludes that every person has one image of himself as he perceives himself to be and another of what he would like to be. The latter is called the 'Self-Ideal' (Edward. Ch 2.11). At adolescence an individual seeks for his self-ideal in another individual. Karim engages in a homosexual relationship with Charlie. It is at this point an individual seeks out for his (other) self-ideal in order to attain a stable individual 'Self'.
Karim considers himself unattractive and unappealing. He lacks the strength in his character. He expresses his desire to be like Charlie- as clever, as cool in every part of his soul (I,iii,16). He describes him a boy whom nature breathed such beauty. In adolescence the process of becoming an autonomous and self governing individual takes a new dimension. In order to establish a stable personality his self has to reconcile with his 'other' ideal. This excursion is a brief one until an individual acquires a complete understanding of his self-identity. Therefore, Karim's homosexual relationship with Charlie is noticed in the early segment of the novel. In the later part Charlie's attraction for Karim wavers and withers with maturity. Hence, this union (homosexual) for Karim is metaphorically necessary for the consummation of his 'self' and accounts for a better understanding of his self identity in future.
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Work Cited
Charlesworth, Barbara. Ed. Adriene Rich's Poetry and Prose. London: W.W .Norton and Company, 1993.
Edward, J. J .Self Actualization. Composed by Bisharat Francis.
Kureshi, Hanif. The Budda of Suburbia. Ed . Jon Sarage.
Walsh, Roth. Mary. Ed. The Psychology of Women Ongoing Debates. Yale University Press. New Heaven and London.
Showalter, Elaine. Ed. Women's Liberation and Literature. Douglass College. Harcout Brace Jovanovic, Inc.Wilkinson, Sue. Ed. Feminist Social Psychologies International Perspectives. Buchingham. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
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